


Long Forgotten Enemies

by littlebear62007



Category: Criminal Minds, Criminal Minds (US TV), Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Crime, Established Relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, Murder Mystery, Police Officer Percy Jackson, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Serial Killers, Torture, Zeus Being an Asshole (Percy Jackson), criminal minds - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:53:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 51,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28004211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlebear62007/pseuds/littlebear62007
Summary: The BAU is called in when teenagers across New York City are found dead and tortured. Joining the investigation late, after being held up by another case, the team is immediately overwhelmed by the unusual nature of the case. Both the families of the victims and the lead Detective Jackson seem to be hiding something. Why would these families keep critical information from federal agents just trying to find and rescue their children?Percy Jackson has been working for the NYPD, happy to live a normal life after years of war. When demigod children begin turning up dead throughout the city, Percy is torn between two worlds. How will he find the person responsible for killing his family while keeping their world a secret for both his fellow officers as well as government agents?
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 212
Kudos: 535





	1. BAU Arrives at NYPD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rights to both PJO and CM belong to the original writies/aruthors, obviously.
> 
> ** WARNING **  
> This is a Criminal Minds fic, so there may be graphic descriptions of violence and toruture/crime that may be triggering to some. If you don't want to see people getting hurt, this may not be for you.
> 
> IMPORTANT EDIT:  
> This is posted in a later chapter as well, but for any new readers, this is an explanation of the characters' ages.
> 
> So this is taking place 10 years after the Titan and Giant Wars. That would make Percy about 27. Any demigods that with him during the wars are the same age difference from Percy as the are in the original PJO books.
> 
> About the demigod victims… They’re like half OC and half actually in the PJO books. There is a son of Apollo called Austin, and a daughter of Hephestus called Nyssa but I’m not really sure about their ages? I made them up/changed them to fit in with the plot. This is the same as any other demigods that might pop up, most of them exist in PJO, but as minor minor characters so we don’t know much about them.
> 
> So in conclusion, this takes place 10 years after Kronos/Gaea, and most of my “OC” demigods were mentioned in PJO but I changed them a bit to better fit the plot.

Reid POV

Walking through the door of the New York City precinct, Reid could feel the tension. Three bodies had already been found over the span of a week and a fourth kid had just been reported missing. The BAU had been called in, but arrived later than expected, still finishing up a challenging case across the country. 

The briefing on the plane had left them with more questions than answers. There was no clear pattern in the victimology, first two boys then a girl and now another boy had been taken. According to the initial search by Garcia, none of the victims knew each other nor crossed paths at any point in their lives. Each living in different burrows and attending different high schools. It was going to be a challenge to find the connection between them.

“... Dr. Reid,” Hotch's voice interrupted his thoughts as he introduced the team to NYPD Commissioner Dermont. 

Reid gave a little wave, smiling awkwardly as he rejected the older man’s offered hand. They stared at each other for just a moment too long before the commissioner moved on to shake the hands of the BAU team.

“We have a room already waiting for you,” Dermont led them towards the back of the building, into a large conference room where boards had been set up in preparation.

“I’ll leave you all to get set up. The lead detective on this case should be here in a few minutes. He’s on his way back from the most recent crime scene.”

“Sounds good.” Hotch turned towards his team. “When the detective arrives, Morgan, Prentiss, you’ll go with him to the dumpsite. Reid and Rossi will go talk with the victim's family. Try to find a connection between each of the kids. JJ and I will stay here and talk with the ME.”

Rossi nodded in agreement, “we’re already behind. We’re gonna need to move fast to stay ahead of the unsub.”

Before anyone could respond, the sound of a cell phone rang through the room. Unclipping it from his belt, Morgan placed the device to his ear. Judging by the way Derek’s face lit up, Reid instantly knew who was on the other end of the line. 

Morgan nodded, agreeing with whatever had been said. “You got it Baby Girl. Just keep looking. I know you’ll find something we can work with.”

Hotch waited till Morgan was finished talking before asking, “Did Garcia find anything for us?”

“Nothing,” the other man began, “but she’s still looking. Trying to find any secret skeletons these families might be hiding. All three of the kids had little to no social media presence, which although unusual for kids these days, isn’t unheard of.”

Reid frowned. “That means it’s unlikely the unsub got access to these kids through their social media pages. There would be no common chat room or platform for the unsub to lure his victims.” 

“It’s going to be hard for Penelope to help us if there is nothing to search through,” JJ agreed. “Tell her to focus on the parents as opposed to the kids. Maybe there is something there we’re missing.” 

“That’s what Garcia was thinking as well,” Morgan clarified, “Right now, all she can tell us for certain is that the second victim, Ryan Morriston, dropped out of school a couple years ago after a disciplinary incident with another classmate. His mother has him registered as homeschooled ever since.

“Do we know anything about the incident?” Hotch asked.

“Not yet. Garcia is currently working on it but because he was a minor, the records are sealed.”

“So what  _ do  _ we know so far?” Prentiss interjected.

Reid looked at his friend, “almost nothing. So far the victimology is all over the place. Of the first two male victims, one was African-American while the other was white and the newest victim is Asian. Which rules out a racially motivated unsub.”

“There is also no evidence of sexual assault.” Morgan jumped in, “and the unsub crossed gender. It’s possible that the third female victim was an accident but unlikely that someone this organized would make such a mistake.”

“Well,” JJ began, “what we  _ do _ know, is that our unsub is sadistic. The ligature marks around the wrist and ankles of each of the victims suggest they are held and bound before being tortured and killed.”

Reid winced, “there also appears to be an increase in the amount of time each teenager was held and an escalation of the torture inflicted before they were killed. Our unsub is evolving.”

“And quickly,” Rossi added, “this looks to me like the start of a spree.”

The BAU fell quiet at that. They all knew how a spree usually ended. Lots more bodies and with this case, if the unsub stayed within the same age range, the victims would all be young teenagers.

As the team sat in silence, mentally preparing themselves for the pain they knew would follow this case, there was a disturbance outside their room.

Reid looked through the large glass panes, eyes catching on an officer striding angrily through the station. Commissioner Dermont followed him, desperately trying to keep up.

“Detective!” Dermont yelled after the younger man. When he didn’t slow, “Jackson!”

The detective in question whirled around, angry, “You called in the  _ Feds _ ? Really? You don’t think I can handle this? Huh?”

“They’re only here to help.”

“Help?” Jackson scoffed.

But the commissioner was unphased, “we’ve lost three kids in under two weeks. And if we don’t do something, that number is about to be four. You know how highly I think of you, but this case? This case is more than we can handle alone.”

Reid turned to look at JJ, his eyes wide. Clearly, someone wasn’t happy about their presence here. It would be an obstacle in the investigation if they weren’t able to get the detective onto their side. If they weren’t able to convince him that they were only there to assist the police rather than completely take over the investigation. This wasn't the first time a local officer had protested their involvement in a case, but it always resulted in an unnecessary conflict that interfered with catching the unsub.

Jackson rubbed his eyes, visibility distressed, “Where are they?”

Dermont just pointed towards the conference room where the entire BAU stood watching the interaction. Jackson sighed again before seemingly steeling himself to meet the federal agents. 

Eyes locked onto Hotch, the clear leader, Jackson extended a hand to introduce himself, “Percy Jackson. The lead detective on this case.”

Hotch took his hand. “Supervisory Special Agent Hotch. And this is my team. SSAs Morgan, Prentiss, Jareau, Rossi and Dr. Reid.”

Jackson nodded at each agent as they were introduced. 

“Would you take agents Morgan and Prentiss to the newest crime scene? JJ and I will stay here to talk to the ME while Rossi and Reid will visit the families of the victims.”

“I just came from the crime scene. I don’t think I’ll be any help there, it’d be better for a fresh set of eyes to look without any interference.”

Rossi hummed in agreement, “We can follow you to the newest victim's home instead. That way we don’t interrupt Garcia for the address.”

“Garcia?’ 

“Our technical analyst. Back at Quantico, looking for a connection between the victims.” Morgan responded. 

Jackson nodded, “I’d be happy to take you to Susan Moore's place. I spoke with her a few days ago when she came to the station to report her son missing but I haven’t been to the apartment. Hopefully, there’s something there that will help us.”

“Rossi, set up a line of communication in case the unsub tries to contact them.” Hotch held up a hand before the detective could interrupt. “I know that they haven’t before, but we should be ready in case.”

“Of course,” Jackson admitted.

“Rossi?”

“Yes, sir.”

Hotch started towards the door, starling everyone into action, “Let's move. We don’t have a lot of time.”

  
  



	2. Meeting Ms.Moore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is told from Percy's POV as he takes the BAU agents (Reid and Rossi) to visit the mother of the newest kidnapping victim, Austin Moore, a son of Apollo. He must prevent the agents from asking any questions that could lead them to discover the Gods' secret world.

Percy POV

This was bad. Really, _really_ bad. First Percy was dealing with the murder of three demigods in the middle of New York City, while simultaneously trying to protect the Gods’ secret from the entire NYPD, and now the Feds were here. Not only was he going to have to lie to his colleagues, but he was also going to have to lie to federal agents.

While they were furiously trying to figure out a connection between each of the victims, Percy was well aware that each had been attending Camp Half-blood. At first, he had thought the murder of Josh Aleman, a son of Hecate, had been an unfortunate accident. Then the NYPD uncovered the body of Ryan Morriston, a son of Janus. Percy still hoped it was a coincidence, prayed to his father, even to Zeus for it to be a coincidence. 

_Then_ they had found the body of Nyssa Barrera, a daughter of Hephaestus, and a day later, Austin Moore, a son of Apollo, had been reported missing.

His two worlds were colliding. His life as a New York City police officer, where he gets to pretend that he’s a normal person, and his life as the hero of Olympus. Percy cursed his luck, the fates must hate him. He can't help but wonder what he possibly could've done that warrants such torture. _Why_ did the three old women enjoy messing with his life so much?

He had spent the last few days coaching the parents of each of the victims through a series of possible questions. With Chiron’s help, they had managed to create a somewhat believable story for each of the missing and now deceased kids. Camp Half-Blood was on a complete lockdown, nobody was to leave without explicit permission from Chiron until the perpetrator was caught.

Messages had been sent out to those who were not year-round campers, still living at home, in the city, or close by. They should not go anywhere except to and from school. Percy knew it was going to be almost impossible to keep teenagers at home for long periods, but it was their only option. He just hoped they would listen to his warning.

Meanwhile, Olympus was silent. Zeus refused to answer both Chiron and Dionysus's Iris messages. Maybe he thought that his silence was a sign of strength? Percy had stopped being surprised by the gods' inability to rule years ago. As their children died in the streets, directly below their golden palaces, the gods pretended nothing was wrong.

Percy drove absently towards the Moore apartment. The last he had spoken to Austin’s mother, she was a wreck. Could barely comprehend what Percy and Chiron had tried to drill into her. 

It was unfair. Instead of being left in peace to grieve, the parents left behind had to worry about revealing the Gods’ secret. They had to watch each word spoken to the police, to the media, and to journalists to prevent the entirety of the Greek and Roman world from being revealed.

\---

Percy could see the federal agents pulling up behind him as he parked across from his destination. He was worried, would his presence help keep Ms.Moore at ease or put her more on guard? He would need to control this conversation subtly, without alerting the agents to his actions or they may become suspicious. The last thing he needed was to become a person of interest in this investigation.

He sent a quick prayer to Athena, asking for wisdom, before heading towards the intimidating unmarked SUV carrying the Feds. Sure, maybe Athena hates him, but these are desperate times. Percy looked towards where he knew the Empire State Building sat. Where he knew the Gods were watching, even though they refused to intervene. This was the first time since the wars that he envied Annabeth’s easy intelligence, he was never good at stuff like this. 

“Detective!” The older agent called out to him, with a slight Italian accent. 

Rossi or Reid. Hades, he had already forgotten which was which. He smiled anyway, waving them towards the correct apartment.

“Agents,” Percy greeted as they stopped outside of the door, their progress halted as he entered in the door code. “There should be an officer stationed outside Ms.Moore’s apartment, but I don’t think we’ve officially briefed her since the initial report.”

“That’s probably for the best,” the younger one agreed, “Statistically speaking, she should remember at least 14.6% more about the day her son was taken, now that she has had time to process the event.”

Percy stared at him open-mouthed, “Is that a real statistic? I feel like you just made that up,”

“Our Boy Wonder here would never make something up.” The older agent looked almost like a proud father as he spoke.

“Boy Wonder?” Percy asked, still confused.

“Spencer Reid here is a bit of a genius. Has that whole perfect photographic memory, super reading, and multiple PhD thing going on.”

Percy turned towards the younger agent, Reid, in shock, “How many PhDs _do_ you have?”

“Three.”

“What the Hade— hell?” Percy corrected himself as they entered the elevator. “And the super reading?”

“I can read 20,000 words per minute.”

Rossi laughed again at Percy’s continued awe.

“ _And_ you have a photographic memory?”

“Technically, I have an eidetic memory but, yes, they are essentially the same to the average person.”

“That’s crazy dude. Actually crazy.” Percy shook his head in disbelief, “My fiance would love you.”

“Fiance?” Rossi prompted as they left the elevator, slowly making their way towards the Moore apartment.

“Yep. Annabeth. She’s a bit of brainiac, would love to pick the brains of your genius here.”

The two laughed quietly careful to contain themselves as the police officer on duty outside the missing boy’s’ apartment came into view.

Almost immediately Percy’s nerves returned. This would be either a complete disaster or a complete success. No in-between.

He had to focus. He could not afford to slip up around the agents. Learning about Reid’s supposed genius did not help at all. There was no way he was going to be able to pull this off. He cursed quietly, before steeling himself and following the agents into the apartment.

\---

Susan Moore sat uncomfortably on her couch, surrounded by pictures of her missing son. It was clear that she had been recently crying. Her hands shook holding a steaming mug of tea but her eyes were determined as she looks at the agents that now occupied her living room.

“I know this is hard,” Rossi began, “but we are going to have to ask a few questions about your son. Even something that may seem small or insignificant could be a huge help.”

Ms.Moore nodded, “anything.”

“Is there anyone that you know of who might want to hurt your son?”

“No. Everybody loved Austin.”

“So there was nobody that had a grudge against him. Any rivals, jealous of his position on a sports team, maybe?”

“He was trying out for the school musical, but they all loved him. He's an amazing singer and just one of those people that radiated positive energy. You know? A ray of sunshine.”

Percy couldn’t help but wince at the description. ‘A ray of sunshine’ was the perfect description for any child of Apollo. It was almost too accurate.

“Was there anybody new in your life or Austin’s life?” Reid took over, “A new friend? Or coworker? Someone that maybe made you uncomfortable?”

Susan frowned, unsure, “No one, at least...I don’t _think_ he’s been seeing anyone new. And he doesn’t work, so there aren’t any new coworkers.”

“Can you give us the names of Austin’s closest friends? Anyone who might have known who Austin was in contact with over social media or at school that you don’t know about.”

“Austin doesn’t have any social media.”

“Are you sure?” Reid prodded, “Teenagers often have ways of doing things we aren’t aware of. He could have made a secret account on a cell phone or computer.”

Ms.Moore looked at Percy briefly, trying not to make eye contact but suddenly worried. Cell-phones were a danger to demigods, there was no way for Austin to use one without attracting monsters. But the agents may see that as a red flag, what teenager doesn't have a cellphone? Percy could only smile in encouragement, they had previously discussed a response to this question with Chiron. He could only hope she remembered what they talked about, helpless to intervene without raising suspicion.

“Austin didn’t have a cellphone,” at Reid's look of surprise she elaborated, “I didn’t want him exposed to the dangers of the internet nor be addicted to technology. I’m sure you’ve seen how kids are these days.”

Rossi made a noise of agreement, “I should tell my daughter this. My grandkids spend more time on those damn tablets than they do outside.”

Susan laughed, grateful for the brief lull in questioning.

“Any close friends that might know anything?”

“Unfortunately Austin doesn’t have that many close friends at school. He was friends with everyone but had nobody he was really close with there.”

“There,” Rossi repeated, catching onto the deeper meaning. “But he does have closer friends elsewhere?”

Susan shifting unfortunately on the couch, hands suddenly clenched tightly around her mug, eyes drifting unconsciously back to Percy.

“Yeah,” she answered slowly.

“And where is that?”

“He goes to summer camp.”

Sensing the discomfort, noticing the rising tension, Rossi pressed on. “What _kind_ of summer camp?”

Ms.Moore stared frozen at Rossi as he unknowingly asked about her son's greatest secret, unsure how to answer. She looked to Percy in a panic, Reid followed her gaze, noticed how she locked onto the detective for guidance. Percy shook his head slightly at the distressed mother, unaware of the agent's attention, but desperate for her to end this line of questioning. Reid frowned.

“It’s just a summer camp. You know?” she laughed nervously. “Riding horses, volleyball, crafts, the usual...”

Before Rossi could ask any more questions, Percy jumped in, “And what about _your_ life Ms.Mooore. Has there been anyone new in your life?”

“Yes! Yes, I just started dating this new guy!” she breathed in relief.

Percy could tell the agents were suspicious about the sudden change in emotion. About how enthusiastically she was giving up her new boyfriend. He cursed himself, for not jumping in to change the interview direction sooner. 

As Rossi asked more about Susan’s dating life, Reid stood up to examine the pictures lining the room. The majority featured Austin and his mom, in various stages of his life. They showed Ms.Moore raising her son alone without a steady father figure, making it clear the bond between mother and son was strong. 

Percy stood up as well, keeping an eye on both Susan Moore as well as Agent Reid who was focused on one picture in particular, intrigued.

He picked up the frame, carrying it back to the grieving mother. 

“Is this your son at camp?” he asked.

Percy watched, horrified, as Reid held the photograph of Austin towards Susan. Why couldn't they just leave the camp alone?

The picture must have been taken just outside the big house. Facing away from the cabins and towards Thalia’s tree where Festus stood guard over the camp's borders.

The group was far enough away that all you could see was an unidentifiable shape curled around the tree, resembling a large rock. Percy couldn’t help the pang in his chest as he looked at the familiar landscape. It had been almost a year since he had gone back to camp, to busy with work to take even a short vacation. 

His thoughts were interrupted by Ms.Moore’s voice, hesitantly answering the young agent.

“Yeah, that’s him. Austin took that this summer with his broth—“ she paused, stumbling over her words for a minute, almost accidentally admitting that all 7 of the kids in that picture were siblings. “-best friends. Those are probably his best friends.”

“Austin looks happy,” Rossi leaned in to examine the photo further.

“He was. He loves that camp. And he loves those kids.”

“Could we get in contact with them?” Reid began to ask.

But Susan was already shaking her head, “I’m afraid I don’t have their contact information. Even if I did, they wouldn’t be much help seeing as my son hasn’t spoken with them in months.”

“I understand,” Reid took the picture, returning it to its rightful place on the fireplace mantle. 

For a moment, Percy was worried Reid had uncovered something. The agent stood still for a moment, still scrutinizing the camp photo. Almost as if he had recognized something but couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

The demigod was saved, as whatever theories that had been building within the geniuses brain were halted by a cellphone.

“This is Rossi.” The Italian nodded, more to himself than to whoever was on the other line. "We’ll head back to the precinct as soon as we finish up here.”

Both Reid and Ms.Moore, as well as Percy were all watching Rossi by the time he hung up the phone. 

He turned first to Percy, “If it's all right with you, we should go back to the station ASAP.”

“What’s going on?” Reid looked momentarily worried.

Had another body been found? Percy couldn't bear to tell another family that their child had been killed, that he had failed to catch whoever or whatever was targeting demigods.

“Nothing, nothing,” he looked briefly at Ms.Moore watching the three law enforcement officers and motioned Reid farther away from Susan, slightly out of earshot. “Hotch thinks he found something. A connection that might tie the victims together.”

Percy listened closely, trying not to let the panic currently racing through his body, show on his face.

“Morgan and Prentiss are on their way back from the crime scene so Hotch wants us all to be there.”

The two agents locked eyes before looking at Susan, seemingly unwilling to leave her side just yet.

“It’s alright,” Percy jumped in, eager for them to leave the apartment before discovering anything else that could expose his secret. “I can finish briefing Ms.Moore on what to do if the unsub decides to contact her.”

Reid looked unsure but Rossi was nodding in agreement, “We need to start working on a profile. And we can’t do that by sitting with the victim's family. She has told us all she can.”

“Sounds good then." Percy tried to sound casual, "I’ll see you back at the station.” But if Reid’s wary eyes were an indication, it must've come off as suspiciously dismissive.

The young genius took one last frustrated look at the camp picture, before following Rossi out of the small apartment.

\---

It was about an hour later when Percy was finally able to leave Susan Moore's apartment. 

He had briefed her on what to do if the unsub calls but most of the time had been spent reassuring the almost frantic woman that she had done a good job. 

Yes, it was scary that she had been forced to talk about camp with federal agents. But no, telling agents that your son attends a summer camp is not the same as telling the government that your son is a demigod child of Apollo. Yes, profiles were trained to look at body language and other nonverbal cues to gather information. But no, there is no way for the BAU to conclude that Greek Gods are real from this interview.

Although, privately, Percy was worried that the profiles would be asking more questions about this summer camp in the future. He would do all he could to stop them from digging further but Reid had obviously recognized something in that photo and Rossi could sense that Ms.Moore had been hiding something when they questioned her son’s summer activities. Percy just hoped that the other families had managed to keep their children’s involvement in the camp a secret.

Finding a connection between each victim may help lead the police to this serial killer but it would also lead them straight into the Gods' secret mythological world. And it was Percy's job to prevent that from happening.

As much as he was rooting for this psychopath to be caught, Percy hoped that whatever Agent Hotchner had found, was insignificant.

If the BAU isn’t able to find the killer themselves, it’ll be up to Percy to prevent any more demigod deaths. Maybe if the Gods are feeling particularly benevolent, they’ll be able to point him in the right direction. But then again, when had they ever been helpful and the last thing Percy needs is another prophecy to add to the chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, yall have enjoyed the first two chapters. I've already started the third, so it should be up pretty quickly. Probably some time next week? I'm going to try to update somewhat regularly, but no promises. This is kinda a dying (possible never alive) sub-fandom thing with only a couple fics so this story might not even get seen by anybody. But if anyone does stumble upon this, decided to give it a read, and likes it? Drop me a comment so I know there are people that exist who enjoy a PJO x CM crossover. Hopefully I'm not the only one. :/
> 
> This fic has been somewhat inspired by "Fantasy Abandoned by Reason (produces impossible monsters)" by Swiftlet_in_the_Cloud. So if you have liked this story so far, definitely go check out theirs. It's pretty good, despite being unfinished. 10/10 would recommend.
> 
> I'm happy to hear any feedback or thoughts you might have because I don't have anyone to read over my chapters. So if you see a mistake, feel free to point it out so I can fix it. Anyway, thanks for reading. See you next week. :)


	3. Building a Profile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reid and Rossi meet back up with the rest of the team, discussing what each group had learned. The BAU works to create and deliver a profile to help build a better picture of their unsub. Reid voices his concerns about Detective Jackson.

Reid POV

Reid waited until they were in the car, heading back to the precinct before speaking. 

“That was weird. It wasn’t just me?” Reid turned towards the more experienced profiler.

Rossi nodded.

“Ms. Moore looked at Detective Jackson anytime the questions made her uncomfortable.”

“Especially about that summer camp.”

Reid couldn’t help but agree, “I’m going to call Penelope. Ask her to look into that, see what kind of camp it is. Ms.Moore was clearly hiding something.”

“Definitely. I would bet money that Jackson knows exactly what that ‘something’ is.”

Reid looked to the driver sharply, a dangerous statement, to claim the lead detective on NYPD's biggest case was hiding information in a murder investigation. But at the same time, Reid felt the same way. He had seen exactly how Jackson’s face had dropped and his body tensed, the second Rossi brought up the summer camp. And he had caught both the panicked look Ms.Moore had sent to Jackson as well as the head shake that answered her.

It was a clear order. To stop all discussion of the camp.

Why would Austin’s mother feel the need to turn to a detective, someone she had just met, for advice in a simple conversation with federal agents? She should be giving them as much information as they needed to find her son, yet she was holding back. 

She knew something they didn’t. 

Reid picked up his phone, dialing their technical analyst, in search of some answers.

“Garcia here to make all your hopes and dreams come true. Ask and I shall grant you one wish.”

Spencer laughed into his phone. “It’s Reid.”

“Ooooh, my favorite federal genius.”

“I was hoping you could do some digging for me.”

“You know I love to dig.”

“Can you find out more about the summer camp that Austin Moore attending every year?”

Garcia was quiet for a moment, obviously confused. “A summer camp? What for?”

“I’m not sure exactly,” Reid paused, unsure exactly what he was looking for either. “I’m putting you on speaker with Rossi.”

The other agent leaned towards the phone, “When we asked about it, Susan Moore became extremely uncomfortable.”

“But It was more than that. She was hiding something.” Reid added.

“Suspicious.” Garcia’s voice crackled on the other end as they briefly lost service. “I’ll look into it, call you back when I find something.”

“Okay, thanks Gar—” The phone clicked off before Reid could finish.

\--

By the time, Reid and Rossi got back to their temporary headquarters, the rest of the team had already arrived.

“We looked over the crime scene photos and noticed something interesting,” Hotch began almost immediately, eager to not waste any more time.

JJ pointed to the board, where the pictures of three similar necklaces were pinned. “Each of the victims was wearing these necklaces when their bodies were discovered.”

“What do they mean?”

“Do we think it is a signature?”

“Did the unsub leave those on the victims?”

"We should analyze them for fingerprints."

Hotch held up a hand, ending the flow of questions. “They are very unique necklaces. Garcia looked online and couldn’t find anything similar. The beads seem to be handcrafted and the designs painted on individually.”

“Each necklace has a different number of beads,” Reid observed. The third necklace, Nyssa Barrera's, had the most with ten beads, the second had four while the first necklace only had three.

“We don’t know what the number of beads signifies,” JJ said. “Each of the victims do seem to have three beads that overlap. The images are the same but drawn differently as if by a different person.”

“Maybe the beads represent each of his victims?” Morgan suggested.

“But then we would have missed almost six other victims.” Hotch voiced Reid's thoughts. “It is unlikely that the unsub changed his MO so drastically that we haven't uncovered any other bodies.”

Reid nodded, agreeing. “And it would've been almost impossible for him to kill six people between the time the second and third victims were taken.”

“We’ve sent them to the lab to be analyzed.” JJ wrote a few of the unanswered questions on the board beneath the necklaces. Leaving them there to potentially prompt future discussion. “If we find out what these necklaces mean to the unsub, we might be able to figure out his motive.”

Rossi looked at the beads thoughtfully, “If these necklaces were left by our unsub, it is clear they mean a lot to him. Each was carefully painted with an unusual but very specific design. They may be able to tell us more about him.”

But only if they were left by the unsub. Reid thought his team might be forgetting that the necklaces could all belong to the victims. This could be the connection they were looking for. If anything, the necklaces looked a bit like something a kid might make at camp. 

The young genius couldn’t help but think that these necklaces were connected to the mysterious summer camp both Ms.Moore and Detective Jackson were trying to keep hidden.

Before Reid could voice his opinions, Hotch was moving on. “What did you learn from the victim's mother?” 

“Not much,” Rossi said taking his seat, “Ms. Moore gave us the name of a new boyfriend but the police have already checked his alibi. And there would be no motive for him to attack any of the other kids.”

Prentiss leaned forward, hands resting on the conference table, “I don’t think the unsub is anyone within the family's immediate circle. We would have found a connection already.”

“The only thing that stood out was Susan Moore’s reaction to our questions about her son’s summer activities,” Reid said.

“Summer activities? Reid, what?” Morgan gave Spencer a look.

“I’m serious,” Reid elaborated. “She got really defensive and stopped giving us any information, answering every question with some vague description.”

“We already have Garcia looking into it. She’ll call if there are any red flags.” Rossi placed a hand on his partner's arm in support.

“And we should keep an eye on Detective Jackson.”

“Detective Jackson?” This time it was Hotch that was looking at Reid doubtfully.

“There was a weird dynamic between him and Mrs.Moore. I’m not sure what it was but it felt like they knew each other. Something beyond her son’s kidnapping.”

“Reid,” Hotch said sternly. “I know our last case was stressful, but not all police departments are apart of some bigger conspiracy. We can’t just accuse Jackson of murder.”

“I’m not saying he is the unsub,” Reid protested. “I’m just saying there is something he isn’t telling us. We should keep an eye on him just in case.”

Despite his reluctance to admit it, Reid knew that Hotch had grown to fully trust his team. After years of working together, sometimes one person caught something that the others missed. His boss would listen to him.

“Okay. Okay. We’ll keep an eye on him.” The team leader finally agreed.

Sensing the lull in conversation, Prentiss began to pin photos from the dumpsite onto the board. “Based on the crime scenes, I don’t think our unsub is as organized as we previously thought.”

“How’s that?” JJ prompted.

“We found his fingerprints all over both the body and the dumpsite. Although, unfortunately, they are nowhere in the system. It’s unclear if he left his fingerprints carelessly or because he knew we wouldn’t find a match.”

Emily trailed off, letting Morgan take over, “And he carefully positioned the bodies underneath a cloth, a possible sign of remorse.”

Remorse? Reid frowned. This unsub was extremely unpredictable and inconsistent. He was compelled to kidnap these teenagers but then felt remorse afterward? This was not a typical sadist. The torture was extensive, but perhaps he felt the pain was necessary rather than for his own enjoyment.

“The level of violence suggests a sadist but looking at the Corinors report, there are a few details that we were missing,” Hotch said.

Reid gaze focused back onto his team leader, “and what are we missing?”

“The pattern of injuries suggests that the unsub might be torturing these teenagers for information. The majority of wounds seem to inflict the maxim amount of paint without much internal damage. The nails and teeth of each victim seem to have been pulled out carefully, one by one. Each wound was intentional, had a purpose. And, there was water found in the lungs of both Nyssa and Ryan, the last two victims.”

Reid was shocked by Hotch’s words. Waterboarding teenagers? What could the unsub possibly want from these kids?

“Waterboarding?” Morgan spoke up, disturbed. “These kids were tortured and waterboarded before being killed?”

JJ just nodded sadly. “The ultimate cause of death seems to be a single gunshot wound to the head. Close range, execution-style. Ballistics confirmed the use of a Glock 19. A gun so common, that it's essentially untraceable.”

“So once he’s done with them, once they have no more information to give. The unsub disposes of them.” Rossi leaned back in his chair, unsettled.

“We need to figure out exactly what our unsub  _ thinks _ these kids know,” Prentiss said. “It doesn’t need to make sense to anyone except him.”

Morgan nodded, now out of his seat and pacing angrily. “That’s how we find this son of a bitch. We find out what these kids all have that caused our unsub to take them in the first place.”

“In the meantime,” Reid looked to Hotch as his team leader spoke, standing up. “It’s time to deliver the profile.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are still enjoying the story. I love reading all your reviews so keep em coming.
> 
> The next chapter should hopefully be out within the next weekish. I'm moving pretty quickly so hopefully, I can keep this speed and continue to update regularly?


	4. Giving the Profile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy accidentally interrupts the BAU as they give their profile. He worries that they are going to become suspicious of him and tries to get back on their good side.

Percy POV

Percy didn’t mean to interrupt the agents as they were giving their profile, but it wasn’t his fault. He’d stopped for barely five minutes to grab a coffee and now the FBI had practically the entire NYPD gathered outside his office? _Not_ ideal.

Percy tried to enter the room quietly. Reid and Rossi were already suspicious and he didn’t need to give them any more reasons to dislike him. He quickly scanned the crowd, foot still propping open the doors. Thank the gods, nobody seemed to notice his late entry.

Nope— wait. He spotted movement to his right. A couple officers, clearly not paying  _ any  _ attention to the government agents still speaking, were quietly sniggering at him. He narrowed his eyes, trying to identify them from the mass of identically dressed cops.

It was the non-regulation hair and beard that gave him away. Fucking Hernandez and his ugly ass cousin. Percy was going to kill the two deputies, only one year younger than him but they acted like teenagers. 

Percy waited for them to turn around again, before raising a hand to flip them off, as discreetly as possible. But the fates are cruel, because as soon as he raised a finger, his captain noticing the commotion, turned around to see what all the fuss was about. 

The second his eyes saw Percy, the man visibly hardened. The demigod cursed, lowering his hand and the offending finger as quickly as possible, which only resulted in him losing his grip on the newly purchased, still hot, Starbucks coffee.

The glass doors slammed shut behind him, his reflexes just a second too slow as he forgot about his foot keeping them open while simultaneously failing to catch the coffee. 

Percy froze. The middle-aged brooding man, Agent Hotchner his mind helpfully supplied, halted his description of the unsub as the entire department turned as one to find the source of whatever noise had interrupted the BAU.

The demigod was used to feeling small, after years of standing in the Olympic throne as 12 literal Gods stared down at you from their 20 foot thrones, but this was the first time it had happened in the mortal world.

His captain looked furious, neck turning red as he fought to maintain composure. The Commissioner just stared at him, more disappointed than angry, standing next to the agents who just looked on in disbelief.

Di Immortals. This was not how he was planning to get back on their good side. After the disaster that was the Ms.Moore interview, he needed the agents to trust him, not see him as an incompetent idiot. Laying on the floor, surrounded by coffee was  _ not  _ a good start.

The awkward silence was thankfully broken as his captain started towards him, parting the officers like Moses or— was there a Greek version of Moses? 

A hand stretched down towards the son of Poseidon, interrupting his wandering thoughts, helping him up from embarrassment.

“We’ll talk about this later,” his boss hissed. The words just quiet enough for only Percy to hear. To the room, he gave a forced laughed. “It seems our wonderful Detective lost his footing. Carry on agents.”

His tone left no room for discussion.

The captain placed a hand on the back of Percy’s neck, guiding him forcefully into the crowd and out of sight.

Hotch cleared his throat before resuming, “So although the torture our unsub inflicts on our victims is technically sadistic, we don’t believe he is a sadist.”

“Instead the torture appears to be a form of enhanced interrogation.” That was Rossi.

“He believes these kids know something, have some information that he needs.” Now JJ.

“We came across a case similar to this a couple years ago.” Reid jumped in. “The unsub in that case, William Taylor, believed a man with a skull tattoo had kidnapped his daughter Tatiana. He tortured and killed three people for information on her location, despite them having no idea, before we were able to subdue him.”

“Did you find his daughter?”

Reid looked at the officer who had called out, almost regretfully, “His daughter was already dead. She had gone missing during the night while her father was sleeping, but a search party had found her body a week before William’s psychotic break.”

Percy cringed, couldn't even imagine dealing with cases like that every week. He already felt like he was falling apart here and this was the first time had ever encountered what the FBI referred to as a ‘serial killer.’ He knew that his fellow officers felt the same way. 

“William Taylor’s victims were strangers. They had never met him nor his daughter.” Hotch pushed through. “It made no sense of him to think that these people would know anything about the incident and yet he was convinced that they were responsible. The reasoning behind why  _ our _ unsub it taking these teenagers probably isn’t going to make sense to anyone except him.”

Wouldn't make sense to anyone except their unsub and to the one and only Percy Jackson. If this man was kidnapping demigods to torture them for information? That means he probably knows of their heritage. He probably knows about the Gods and is looking for proof or validation of their existence.

And if the unsub isn’t mortal? He didn’t know which was worse. 

Neither Kronos nor Gaea should be able to rise for another couple hundred years but their influence was still frighteningly strong. There were no monsters that had the intelligence or drive to commit these crimes alone, there had to be some Giant or Titan pulling the strings.

The agents’ voices began to blend together as his thoughts wandered. ADHD was not his friend during long briefings. 

The unsub was sophisticated and calculated enough to be slightly older, mid-to-late thirties. Probably white? Physically fit enough to detain and control his younger and arguably more athletic victims. Percy couldn’t help but think all the characteristics this revolutionary behavioral analysis team had given, seemed to be pretty obvious.

\--

Percy entered his apartment, thoroughly exhausted and equally upset. After the BAU finished giving their profile, he was abruptly ushered into his  _ own _ office where both the NYPD Commissioner and his Captain ripped into him for embarrassing the police force in front of federal agents.

This was one of the biggest cases New York City had seen since Son of Sam. Commissioner Dermont didn’t want any bad press and threatened to take Percy off the case if he couldn’t pull himself together. 

“Percy?” He could hear his future wife moving inside their apartment.

“I’m home...”

“In the kitchen.” 

Percy snuck into the room, hiding the Chinese take-out behind his back, and watched her read for a minute, enjoying the view.

“What’d you make me for dinner?”

“What did  _ I _ make  _ you _ ?” Annabeth looked up sharply.

Before she could get angry, Percy revealed his prize. Food from their favorite, shitty, family-owned restaurant, that barely passed any health codes but still managed to make — thee— best fried rice in all of New York.

Annabeth let out a surprised laugh. “This is why I love you.”

“What?” He gasped dramatically. “ _You_ love me? Me? A son of Poseidon?”

“Hmmm… Now that you mention it? Maybe I only  _ like _ you.”

Percy grasped his chest as if he had been stabbed in the heart, before falling to the floor. Basking in the brief relief he felt, hearing the love of his life laugh freely. 

“Such a Seaweed Brain.” 

He smiled, dopey, up at his girl. Her blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun, loose hair framing a breathtakingly beautiful face. She never failed to give him butterflies, to make his heart pound. 

“Wise girl.”

“Get up, you big idiot.” She reached down grunting with the effort it took to pull him onto his feet.

“You know,” he paused. “One day we’re going to have to actually cook real food.”

Annabeth just looked at him, an eyebrow raised, before reaching for the bag. “And today is not that day.”

Percy laughed, unable to disagree, grateful for the chance to forgot about the disaster that is his current work situation.

“So…”

“How was work?” Percy cut off the daughter of Athena before she could finish the question.

“Good.”

“That’s it?” 

“Perce,” Annabeth gave him another pointed look between bites of noodles. “I know you're only asking about _my_ work to avoid talking about _your_ work.”

Hades. She knew him too well. 

“I don’t wanna talk about the case.”

“We have to. We need a plan.”

Percy sighed, defeated. “Dermont brought in the fucking Feds.”

“Styx.”

“Yeah.” Percy took a slow bite of his food, it suddenly didn’t taste as good as he before. “They’re some kind of specialty behavioral analysis unit.”

“Behavioural analysis?”

“Apparently, they a good about deciphering serial killer behavior?” Percy was honestly still a little confused about their actual job description. “They built a ‘profile’ of our unsub to help identify him.”

“Unsub?”

“Unknown subject... I swear it’s their favorite word. They gave this whole little presentation about him. It was kinda cute. Kept taking turns talking and everything.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Percy…”

“No. I’m serious.” It had been kinda funny. “I wonder if they rehearsed it.”

For that, he received a slap upside his head.

"Okay, okay. I looked them up though and they have a ridiculous amount of solved cases. The current theory is that whoever is taking the demigods is torturing them for information.” 

“Percy.” Annabeth met his eyes seriously. “This really bad. We need to tell Chiron. And pray to our parents.”

He scoffed, as if the Gods would answer now. If anything they would call Dionysus away from his post and put the entirety of Olympus on an official lockdown. After all, that seemed to be their preferred response to any threat based on what had happened during  _ both _ wars.

“I’ll send Chiron an Iris Message tomorrow morning before work but I need to be careful. I think the agents might be suspicious of me.”

His fiance groaned. “What did you do?”

“Nothing!” he protested. “They kept asking Austin's mother about camp and she was freaking out. I had to change the topic.”

“You need to be more careful. The last thing we need is for you to be a suspect.”

Sometimes Percy hated how Annabeth was always right. “I know. I know.”

“I don’t think our ‘unsub’ is a monster. They’re too stupid. And both the Titans and Giants won’t rise for at least a thousand years.” Annabeth said, coming to the same conclusions as Percy. “And even if someone was giving orders from the pit, the monsters would never leave a body behind for the police to find.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because they would eat them?”

“What? Since when?”

Annabeth was silent for a second as she stared at him. Unsure if he was joking. “Percy. They literally talk about eating us all the time. How tasty we would be and how good we smell?”

“Oh yeah… I guess I always thought it was more of a metaphor. You know?”

“You’re such a dumbass sometimes. I swear.”

“You love it.”

“My only flaw.” She flicked a piece of rice at him in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“It still doesn’t make sense,” Percy said, more relaxed.

“Hmm?”

“What mortal would kidnap demigods for information? A parent? Jealous sibling?”

“My guess is a clear-sighted mortal looking for answers. They’ve probably been told they were crazy their entire life and are now trying to get proof or something.”

Percy wasn’t entirely convinced. “And that caused them to torture kids to death? That seems like an extreme reaction.”

“I don’t know,” Annabeth shrugged. “What else could it be?”

What else  _ could _ it be? Sure people are crazy, but torturing kids? There are some serious steps missing between a clear-sighted mortal and a sadistic serial killer. 

They finished dinner quietly, burning a last-minute sacrifice to the Gods. As they grew up, left camp, and started their own lives, the sacrificing ritual seemed less and less important. Sometimes they were in a situation where it was impossible to burn their food, eating out at restaurants, or when they had mortal co-workers or friends. 

Annabeth always insisted they sacrifice something when home alone, even if it was after the meal instead of before, which was probably smart considering how temperamental the Gods are. He could only imagine how furious Zeus would be if he realized ‘The Hero of Olympus’ had stopped paying his respects.

Yet with everything going on now, in the midst of the Gods' continued silence, Percy was tempted to forgo a sacrifice in spite.   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand another one is up. I've been pretty speedy writing these couple chapters so hopefully, I don't burn out. The next one will probably be up within a week. For anyone that likes consistency, sorry I don't update on a regular schedule. 
> 
> Please keep leaving comments, if you feel so inclined, I looove reading them. Always makes me smile. 
> 
> Alsooo, I'm currently basing my self-worth on the success of this story soooo help me out? Lol jk - but also not really.


	5. Finding Austin Moore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The NYPD finds Austin Moore's body, leaving both Detective Jackson and the BAU to deal with the aftermath. However, even with new information, they still struggle to find the unsub.

Reid POV

Reid wasn’t even finished getting dressed when he got the call. Austin Moore’s body had been found.

The team gathered in the hotel lounge, all eager to resume work on the case. Hotch quickly delegated each of their tasks, sending both JJ and Reid to the new crime scene while the rest of the team would go re-read reports for anything that was missed.

Grabbing a bagel and coffee from the hotel's breakfast stand, the two youngest agents headed to the newest dumpsite.

By the time Reid and JJ pulled up to the crime scene, it was already swarming with NYPD officers as well as the media. How they continued to receive information as fast as the police, Reid would never understand. 

Their cameras flashed, trying to get a glimpse of the body past the yellow tape. Bright-eyed reporters pushing against the officers tasked to keep them away, to maintain the privacy of the victim. It was as if they had no humanity, no care for the fact that a child’s body was laying mutilated only a few hundred feet away. They thought only of the front page, not of the grief that would soon consume Austin Moore’s family as they learned of his fate or the countless other kids whose lives were at risk now that their unsub was once again on the hunt.

As soon as they stepped out of their SUV, Reid and JJ were swarmed by cameras. The crips suits and threatening unmarked car gave away their status as federal agents. 

“Has another victim been found?”

“Do you have anything to say about how the NYPD has been handling this case?”

“Should the public be worried about their children?”

"Is the Mayor going to issue a mandatory lockdown?"

The questions circled around him in a blur of noise. Each news station repeatedly shouting some variation of the same question in hopes of getting a response. 

Reid looked at the BAU’s former media liaison as they came to the same conclusion.

“No comment.” Before walking away from the merciless crowds. Two faceless police officers held up the crime scene tape, allowing the agents to walk easily through.

They navigated confidently through the countless officers, photographers, and other CSI techs to reach where Detective Jackson stood by an overflowing dumpster.

The detective looked at them briefly, nodding to Reid, before turning back to the body of Austin Moore, placed carefully beside the trash, out of sight from any passersby on the street.

Normally, Reid would suggest that by leaving the body in a dirty alley, beside a dumpster, the unsub would be unconsciously symbolizing that he saw his victims as trash. This was common for serial killers who 'cleansed' the streets of either the homeless population or prostitutes, both groups deemed below the rest of society and unworthy of life.

But in this case, the cloth covering Austin’s body was white. Pure and innocent, just like his victims, a sign of the unsubs remorse. Reid lifted the cloth, just enough to look at Austin's body, the arms purposefully crossed over his chest. The bloody clothes and bullet wound the only indication that the teen wasn’t sleeping peacefully.

Reid stood up, replacing the sheet, “Where all the other bodies posed like this one?”

“Yes,” the detective rocked back onto his heels. “Is that another indicator of remorse?”

Both agents nodded at this. Serial killers were often plagued by conflicting emotions that drove them to kill in one instant and be guilt-ridden the next.

“The media is probably already airing this footage. Someone needs to make a statement.” JJ looked towards Detective Jackson, expecting an answer.

He didn’t seem to hear her, still staring at Austin’s prone form among the trash. “I don’t get it. Why does he _torture_ them but then feel remorse? It doesn't make any sense.”

“It’s a compulsion.” Reid tilted his head to examine the detective. “Our unsub can't control himself.”

“We should’ve stopped this.” Jackson sounded almost on the verge of tears. “If we had just— if I had just tried _harder,_ we could've found him. Rescued him.”

“There is nothing we could've done,” Reid said. “The unsub is very careful, we have to wait for him to make a mistake.”

“Detective.” Jennifer stepped closer, hovering, unsure if she should reach out. “It’s not your fault. It’s not anyone’s fault.”

When Jackson still didn’t respond, JJ gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Percy, you should take a break. Go back to the station or… Someone needs to address the media and someone needs to tell Ms. Moore about her son before she sees it on ABC or Fox News.”

That caught his attention. He rubbed his eyes, trying in vain to control his emotions. “I— 'll go— I’ll go inform Susan.” 

“And the media…?”

“I’ll call my captain on the way to the apartment. He’ll call an official press conference to make a statement.”

Before either agent could respond, warn him that the reporters across the street would be demanding something now, the detective was gone. Walking through the alley, dodging officers as if in a trance.

Reid watched him leave. “Do you think he’s okay to drive?”

“Honestly, no.” JJ turned to Spencer, eyebrows raised. “But I don’t think anyone is going to stop him.”

“Jackson’s too emotionally invested in this case. He shouldn’t feel so responsible for the deaths of these victims.”

“Maybe that how we’re supposed to feel.”

“It’ll cloud our judgment. Cause us to make a mistake that we can’t afford.” Reid countered.

“We’ve been doing this for so many years that we’ve become somewhat numb to it. I mean… we are standing over the body of a dead teenager as if it’s no big deal.” JJ gestured to the body still lying between them. “As if we see this every day.”

“That’s because we _do_ see it every day.”

\--

Back at the station, the rest of the team was sitting around their conference table, papers strewn haphazardly, in a somewhat organized mess. Reid couldn’t help but be grateful that he was sent to the crime scene as opposed to sifting through all these reports.

Even though he probably could have read through them in a fraction of the time.

“You guys look like you had fun.” JJ teased the dead-eyed agents.

“Don’t even start.” Rossi held up a hand dramatically. “I can feel my vision deteriorating.”

“Given your age, that's not a surprise.” Reid watched his friend, waiting for a reaction.

He was rewarded as Rossi looked up, eyes narrowed. “My _age_?”

“Well,” Reid began. “Approximately 12% of Americans ages 45 to 64 report having vision loss. And that number is believed to be even higher as most experience the effects without realizing it. Which means…”

“Kid. I don’t wanna hear it.”

They all laughed, grateful to relative some tension after hitting a dead end in their investigation. 

Reid knew a lot of normal people, civilians, that only heard about crime through the news, might fault them for cracking jokes surrounded by so much death but there was only so much they could do. Making light of their situation was the only way to ensure their team didn’t burn out.

“Reid.” Hotch interrupted. “Start a geographic profile. Hopefully, we can isolate the unsub comfort zone and focus on increasing the police presence in those areas.”

The youngest agent nodded, schooling himself and turning towards the map that had been recently brought into the room. He tuned out his team, instead of focusing on plotting both the known abduction and dumpsites. Because the victims were teenagers and their parents weren’t keeping a close track of their everyday movements, Reid was not exactly sure how each of the victims was taken.

Instead, he had to focus on the general area where each was last seen. Both the first and most recent abductees, Josh Alemen and Austin Moore, were last seen at school. It is assumed that they were taken somewhere on their route home. The second victim, Ryan Morriston, was last seen at a bus station while the only female victim, Nyssa Barrera, purchased coffee at a local shop before disappearing. 

Reid could hear a phone ringing as he finished drawing his circles and shading in the area where the unsub most likely either lived or operated.

“What do you got for us Baby Girl?” Morgan’s voice cut through his concentration.

“What _don’t_ I have, my chocolate thun—”

“Penelope.” Hotch cut her off before the dirty talk could get out of hand. “Please. Focus.”

“Sorry sir,” their technical analyst continued, unbothered. “Do you remember how I said one of the victims was expelled?”

“Yes…”

“Well. I got the records unsealed… and... turns out, in 8th grade, he was in a fight with some other students that results in a fire!”

“That’s concerning but also impressive?” Morgan sounded reluctant to admit it.

“What happened to the other kids. Was anyone hurt?” JJ, forever the mother, asked.

“Nope, but that's where it gets weird. I looked up each of the other kids mentioned in the report, and they don't exist.”

Hotch frowned. “What do you mean they don’t exist.”

“I _mean_ , they literally don’t exist. I couldn’t find them anywhere except for enrolled at the same high school as the victim, during the time he was also a student. As soon as he was expelled, they also seem to disappear.”

Weird was an understatement. Reid couldn't think of any plausible explanation for where those kids could have gone or why they left school at the same time as their current victim.

“And that's not all…”

Prentiss let out a noise of disbelief. “There’s more?”

“Ooh is there more, my skeptical friend,” Garcia sounded way too excited to be talking about the life of a deceased kid. “During the middle of the academic year, when his mother _should_ have been homeschooling him, our victim, Ryan Morriston, was arrested for vandalization… In KANSAS!”

“Kansas?” Rossi repeated incredulously. “What could he possibly be doing in Kansas? There’s nothing there but desert and despair.”

“ _That_ , I couldn't tell ya,” Garcias said. “But I _can_ tell you who bailed him out. And it wasn’t his mother.”

“Who?” Hotch asked.

“Some guy calling himself Mr.Brunner. Who, by the way, also does not exist.”

Reid sat down in one of the open chairs, ready to join the conversation. “So we don’t think she was actually homeschooling her child? What could he possibly be doing for all these years if it wasn’t school?”

“We don’t know that. He could’ve just run away.” Morgan countered.

“But then once he was arrested, Ms. Morriston should have been called. As his legal guardian, she would be expected to bail him out.” Prentiss added.

“The fact that this ‘Mr. Brunner’ bailed him out instead,” Reid continued. “Suggests that either Ms. Morriston was unaware of her son’s arrest or didn’t feel responsible for it since he was no longer in her care.”

“Is that our boy genius, I hear?” The phone cracked as Garcia re-entered the discussion.

“Yes Garcia, it’s me.”

“Back on the topic of things that don’t exist… your mysterious summer camp also does not seem to be real.”

Reid exchanged a look with Rossi, almost unsurprised by this fact. “What do you mean?”

“Well, according to all of Ms. Moore’s financial records, she did not send her son to any camp. I kept digging, in case there were any under the table dealings, but there were also no withdrawals at any regular intervals or of amounts that would be substantial enough to be associated with a normal camp. So she wasn’t paying for it with cash.”

“Well according to her, and the family photos, Austin Moore did attend a camp,” Rossi stated. “The fact that it won’t appear on any records makes me more suspicious that it has something to do with our case.”

“It’s definitely something we should look into.” Hoch agreed. “JJ?”

“I’ll call the other families. See if any of our prior victims attended a summer camp.” JJ said before their unit chief could finish the question.

As she walked out, looking for a quiet place to make the calls, the rest of the team turned to Reid, ready for his geographic profile.

“Our unsub has an unusual pattern,” Reid began. “He is abducting his victims from all across the city. So far he has hit Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. It’ll be almost impossible to predict where he'll abduct from next, so we should instead focus on the dumpsites.”

Prentiss looked at his map, catching on. “All the bodies have been left in Manhatten.”

“Manhatten is the most densely populated borough with 66,940 people per square mile, for a total of about 1.63 million people living on the island. This makes it extremely risky for our unsub as it has the most foot traffic and the highest chance of him being seen.”

“So because that is where he dumps the bodies, that is where he most likely lives?” Rossi guessed. “Good job kid.”

“And based on where he has left our victims, it is likely that he either lives or is holding the kids somewhere in this one-mile radius.” Reid gestured to the shaded circle he had indicated on the map. 

“That is still too big of an area to check door to door, but we _can_ increase the police presence,” Hotch said. "Possibly intimidate him into making a mistake."

Morgan stood up, pointing to each of the boroughs where the kids had been abducted. “Our unsub must have access to a vehicle for him to be able to take the victims across the city without being noticed.”

“We should tell Garcia, as well as the police in the area, to check surveillance and be aware of any suspicious vans, trucks, or other large cars.” Reid agreed.

“I’m still here,” their tech genius’s voice surprised him. “Even though you guys forgot about me, I’ve been listening. And I’m on it.”

“Thank you, Penelope.” The team chorused obediently.

“I’ll get back to you when I found something… or nothing.”

Click. The phone call ended. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here's another one. Hope you all enjoyed.
> 
> Leave me some comments, I love to read em. The next chapter should be up within the week sooooo.... Yah, that's it.


	6. Ms. Moore's Breakdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy tells Ms. Moore about her son's death.

Percy POV

Percy didn’t know how he got to Ms. Moore’s apartment, but here he was. Standing outside, afraid to knock. Afraid to tell her that he failed. That her son was dead.

“Perce?” 

The son of Poseidon looked towards the hesitant voice in surprise. Hernandez. 

“You good?” The other officer kept his voice quiet.

“Yeah.” Percy didn’t even believe himself. “I just— I gotta tell Ms. Moore about her son.”

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“Nah, man. It’s okay.”

“You sure? You don't have to do this alone.”

Percy just nodded. A day ago, the younger officer was mocking him during an important briefing but now? Overnight he had somehow transformed into a voice of reason.

The detective raised his hand, but couldn’t bring himself to knock. 

“Fuck.” He sighed, turning back towards his friend.

Hernadez met his eyes. “You can’t blame yourself.”

“And yet…” Percy shrugged helplessly. “Here I am.”

“That’s just because of your a good guy. Too good for this shitty place.”

Percy shover the other man halfheartedly, “Fuck you, Hernandez.”

“I’m serious.” He protested. “You’re a good guy.”

When Percy continued to shake his head, Hernandez took his place in front of the door. “I’ll knock then. And you can go talk to her alone.”

Before the son of Poseidon could give his approval as senior officer, the deputy rapped his knuckles three times sharply against the door.

Percy turned to glare at Hernandez, but suddenly Susan Moore was there, opening the door and graciously inviting him inside. He couldn't refuse. Sobering instantly at the sight of her hopeful face.

Following the mother inside her home, Percy noticed how things had changed since he had last visited. Where previously, pictures of Austin had been carefully placed around the home, they were now all piled around a single chair facing the door. 

Percy could only assume that’s where she had been sitting when he arrived.

“Would you like any coffee?”

“No thank you, ma’am.”

“Tea? Water?” Susan’s face dropped at Percy’s continued refusal but she kept moving towards the kitchen. “I’ll just make a cup for myself then.”

Percy looked around again, cataloging the number of empty coffee mugs that littered every available space. Was Ms. Moore getting  _ any  _ sleep? He couldn’t exactly blame her, but she was going to kill herself with this much caffeine.

As Susan re-entered the room, equipped with two drinks despite Percy’s initial refusal, he noticed the deep bags underneath her eyes. 

He took the offered mug, sipping politely, before speaking. “When was the last time you slept?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She waved away his concern. “About a day or so I suppose.”

“You need to sleep Ms. Moo—”

“Susan.” She corrected.

“Susan,” Percy repeated. “You need to get some rest before you hurt yourself.”

“I’ll sleep once my son is home.”

Percy winced. “Have you spoken to your sister? I remember last time I was here, you said you were going to call.”

“My sister?”

“We thought you might want some company? Someone else around during tough times.”

“We did say that didn’t we.” Percy watched the older woman, concerned. She drank her coffee quickly, despite its scalding temperature. The detective could barely take a sip himself before it burned both his tongue and lips.

“I think it would be a good idea to call her.”

“Why?” Susan looked suddenly alert. “Did you find Austin? Did you find my son?”

Percy was quiet, unsure how exactly to break the news. Although it still hurt, it had been easier to talk to the other victims' parents. He hadn’t sat with them through the entire abduction, waited with them as they hoped for a safe return, supported them at each step. But with Susan…

He decided to move closer. Sat down beside her on the worn couch, placed a hand over hers. “I’m sorry Ms. Moore but—”

“I knew it was too good to be true.” She interrupted him, patting his hand with hers. “When do you think you’ll have more information? Austin must be so scared, all alone with some psychopath.”

“Ms. Moor—”

“Susan.”

“Susan.” Percy tried again. “We  _ have _ found Austin. But we were too late.”

“Too late?” Tears were beginning to form in the mother’s eyes. “I— I don’t understand.”

“I’m sorry.” He rubbed the hand clutching onto his own. “Austin is dead. We found him this morning. I wanted to come and talk to you myself before you found out from the news or another officer.”

“D— Dead?”

“I’m  _ so  _ so sorry.”

Immediately, she collapsed in on herself. Percy placed a tentative arm around her shoulders, unsure if the attempt to comfort would be accepted.

It was.

Ms. Moore turned her head into his shoulder, body shaking from the weight of her tears. Percy could offer nothing but meaningless, empty words.

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” He rubbed her shoulders. “It’s going to be okay.”

Almost as quickly as she had accepted Percy’s comfort, she rejected it. Jerking away from his touch.

“Okay?” She asked incredulously. “OKAY?!”

Percy held up his hands, unsure of how to proceed with the change in emotion.

“He was my whole world! He was everything to me! I’m not  _ okay _ .”

“I’m sorry.” Percy tried to think of something to calm the grieving mother.

“ You’re  sorry? You?! You  _ promised  _ Detective.  _ Promised  _ that you would find him.”

Percy stood up with her. “I never should’ve promised that. I can’t predict what will happen and had no control over the situation. I had no right to make you such a promise.”

“And yet you did.”

“I did.” Percy tried to maintain his own emotions. “And I’m sorry.”

“You should be.” She spat at him. “This is your fault.”

“Please.” He didn’t even know what he was asking.

“Percy  _ fucking _ Jackson. Hero of Olympus.” She laughed mockingly. “Couldn't even save one boy.”

“I never wanted that title.”

“And yet again, you have it.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“My son worshiped you. I hope you know that. Talked about all your quests every time he came home. Thought you had single-handedly saved the world.”

“I was never alone,” Percy said helplessly, responding to the least relevant portion of her speech.

“He was.” She pointed at him, eyes focused for the first time in days. “Austin was alone when he  _ died _ . And you know what? He was probably praying you were gonna swoop in and save him. Probably believed it too, up until the very last moment.”

Percy's legs felt weak. He sat down heavily, head buried in his hands as Ms. Moore stood over him. Bitter and angry that the man who had promised to return her son had lied. Had failed to bring home the only thing that ever mattered to her.

“Fuck you, detective.” She paused, considering the effect of her next words. “And fuck the Gods. Fuck the Gods and fuck Apollo for even coming into my life!”

“No.” Percy looked up at the woman who was now directing her anger towards the sky. “Don’t say that. Please.”

“Why not? What more can they take from me after I have already lost everything?”

“You still have your sister. A niece and a nephew.” The demigod said desperately. “You’re not alone.”

Ms. Moore quieted, calming as she composed herself. “You should go.”

“Susan?”

“I said you should go.”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here she is... I hope you all like it.
> 
> I know this chapter is really short (sorry?) but I felt that it should stand alone. However, I think I'll be able to put up another Percy POV, that probably could've been apart of this chapter, in like an hour soooo it's okay. You're welcome in advance.


	7. Calling for Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy goes back to the station and calls camp to inform them of Austin's death.

Percy POV (again)

Percy knew that Hernandez had probably heard parts of the meltdown that had happened within Ms.Moore’s apartment, but the other officer was kind enough to feign ignorance. He headed back to the precinct with Percy in silence. Now that Austin Moore was officially deceased, his mother was no longer an active part of the investigation and therefore no longer required a protective detail.

He was able to escape into his office, snubbing Hernandez’s attempt at conversation with the simple excuse of ‘paperwork.’ While not entirely a lie, Percy needed to inform Chiron what had happened. Tell him to prepare a shroud for the son of Apollo.

The demigod walked into his office, shut the door, and fell into the stiff chair with a heavy sigh. Initially, he had protested the separate quarters. During the wars, despite being the leader of an entire army, he had made all major decisions as a team and during his first years as a police officer, he loved the camaraderie he felt within the NYPD. His fatal flaw was loyalty, which meant he thrived on building connections and bonds with his colleagues. Working behind a closed door, separate from his men did not help to promote any relationships. 

But he had also begun to see the advantages of solitude. For one, it provided him the privacy to make calls without anyone overhearing something that might cause suspicion. He did not need anyone to overhear him telling sensitive information to other demigods or Chiron.

Percy reached towards his cellphone, dialing the centaurs number by heart. It’s not as if he called many people. He only had a couple of numbers saved in his phone, half of which belonged to his family. Although Leo had somehow managed to design some special phone that was able to ward off monsters, it was still only a prototype, and he didn’t want to test his luck.

“Hello?” His old mentor picked up on the second ring. “Percy? Is that you?”

“Yes. It’s me.”

“What news on Austin.”

“Dead.”

“Oh, no. That poor boy.” The Centaur sounded devastated. Even after hundreds of years spent watching the heroes he trained die unnecessarily, again and again, Percy knew it wasn’t easy for him. He took each death personally. “I’ll tell his siblings. The Apollo cabin will prepare a shroud.”

“Thank you, Chiron.”

Before Percy could hang up, the centaur spoke again. “I’m so sorry Percy. I know how responsible you feel for these kids… Just remember that you can’t control fate. I know exactly how obsessing over those you can’t save, can destroy you. Don’t let yourself be overcome with guilt. Some things are out of your hands.”

The call ended, leaving Percy to think over the words. He knew the old horse was right, after all, he was  _ always  _ right. But the demigod couldn’t just accept it. Hated the idea that anything was inevitable. Austin’s mother would never accept the idea that her son’s death was meant to be, so Percy wouldn’t accept it either.

The detective rubbed his eyes, furious at the building pressure. If he started crying now, Percy wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop. Talking to Chiron always seemed to be an emotional experience. The ancient centaur had a way of passing on knowledge and wisdom that was devastating. He had experienced everything twice and wasn't afraid to share it with anyone who would listen.

Percy waited a few minutes, composing himself before making the next call.

“Nico?”

“What’s up Perce.”

“I need you to talk to some recently deceased souls for me.”

“No way. You know what happened last time I helped you with a case.”

“Yeah, I know. But—”

“I was turned into a  _ plant  _ Percy.”

“This is different.” The son of Poseidon protested.

“Different than me asking that dead addict if his dealer had a man bun or a mohawk?” Nico paused. “I’m rolling my eyes right now, just so you know.”

“Yes. It  _ is  _ different.”

“How?”

“It’s about those demigods getting kidnapped, tortured, and killed in New York.”

“Oh.” Nico sounded regretful. “I heard about that from Chiron. There’s what… three dead now?”

“Four.” Percy corrected.

“Di Immortals.” The son of Hades was quiet, considering. “I still can’t help you. Father would be furious.”

“Nico.  _ Please _ . Kids are dying.”

“It’s not up to me Percy. I have to obey the rules.” Nico was always reserved, but over the phone, it was more apparent. “The dead shouldn't be used to help the living. It’s not just my father’s punishment I’m worried about.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, the ancient laws. The fates. I can’t just go around doing whatever I want with the dead.”

“Okay, okay.” Percy took a deep breath. “Sorry I asked.”

“Dude. It’s okay. If I was you, I’d ask too. My dad didn’t really explain it well until the thing with your drug case, anyway.”

Percy spun in his chair, stumped, and cursed into the phone. “Hades. I don’t know what to do.”

“Hey. Don’t use my father's name as a curse.  _ Especially _ when I’m literally inside his palace right now.”

“Sorry, sorry.” The older demigod apologized without really meaning it.

“Okay. I gotta go. Duty calls.”

“You mean your father?”

“Bye, Percy,” Nico said loudly, ignoring the last comment.

“Oh, and come visit soon. Annabeth misses you.”

“Bye, Percy.” His cousin repeated, raising his voice till he was almost yelling, once again ignoring the previous statement.

“See you soon Neeks,” Percy said instead, smiling as the call ended. 

They didn’t see each other as often as they used to, now that he had an actual job as a police officer. But every time they talked, Percy’s mood improved. He loved messing with the other, more serious son of Hades. He missed Nico, and Thalia, although he would never say it to either of their faces. He had always felt closer to them than his other demigod friends. Saw them as cousins, despite a confusing lack of Godly genetics. Maybe it was a big three thing?

\--

A knock on his now open door shook him from the seemingly endless reports. The only thing he couldn't stand about being promoted to detective. The increased amount of paperwork was almost unbearable.

“Sir?” Percy asked as his Captain's head popped into the doorway.

“Jackson. The agents have something for us.”

“Now?” He hovered briefly, half-standing from his chair.

“Now.”

Percy had no complaints, eager to get away from his desk. The two men walked towards the conference room, where the entire BAU was gathered around a table.

“I'm putting you on speaker Garcia. Behave.” Morgan said as they walked in, holding out the device for everyone to hear.

“Or what? You’ll spank me? You know I like an audience.”

Silence.

Percy stared at the phone in shock.  _ This _ was the FBI’s famed technical analyst? He could tell his captain felt the same way as he stood frozen, in a similar state of surprise.

“I— I ummm… sorry sir. Sirs? I didn’t mean to say that.” Garcia broke her own spell, voice filled with regret. “Well, I did… But, no. I didn’t mean it like that? I’m going to stop talking now.”

“Please Garcia.” Hotch's voice was tired. “What did you find?”

“Sorry, sorry. Anyways, one of the store clerk’s son saw the news and called in with a tip. He wasn't in the initial reports because he had been sneaking out past curfew to smoke with friends. I promised him that we wouldn’t tell his fath— ”

“Garcia…” Hotch warned again.

“Yes. Staying on task. Sorry, sir. He said he saw a strange man that night but didn’t think anything of it because some vendors work really strange hours and he thought he was probably hallucinating the dead body. But after seeing the news, the kid realized that he had actually seen our unsub and called in.”

“Could he give a description of the man?” Percy asked eagerly.

“Unfortunately, it was too dark. However, he was able to give us something on the vehicle. It stood out because he said he had never seen that logo before. Some kind of Strawberry Service?”

Percy froze.

“Strawberry Services?” Morgan asked. “Is he sure?”

“Very. That was the one thing he was most confident about. He said he got home and ate an entire container of strawberries because of it.”

“Why would our unsub be driving around in a strawberry van? That’s somewhat identifiable. He’s putting himself at risk.” Prentiss said.

Percy was barely listening. The room seemed to be getting smaller and smaller, the shadows growing darker and the air getting heavier. He had to get out of here.

“I— uh— I have to go.” He stumbled over his words and his feet as he exited the room, more focused on escaping than his coordination.

The entire BAU watched him leave, utterly confused about his odd behavior. But he needed to be alone, needed the seclusion of his office.

Percy closed the door behind him, leaning back and sliding down to the ground in a heap. He was, for the second time today, grateful for the privacy offered by his solo office. He could have his panic attack in peace.

The demigod took deep breathes, trying to picture Annabeth next to him, talking to him in a soft voice, calming him down. 

In. Hold. Out. Repeat. In. Hold. Out. Repeat.

It took a few minutes, but eventually, Percy could think again. Could process what had just happened in the conference room down the hall.

Hades.

The unsub was driving a van for a _strawberry_ service? Percy only knew of one strawberry service. The 'Delphi Strawberry Services' was a shell company founded by Camp Half-Blood to help pay for the camp's expenses. They exported the fruit to restaurants across New York and it served as an effective cover to trick mortals into thinking the camp was actually just a huge strawberry field. There was about a 0% chance this was some weird coincidence. If anything, it made more sense. Most demigods would hop into that van without hesitation, even if they didn’t immediately recognize the driver.

How had the unsub even gotten a van?

He had to call Annabeth. He had to call Chiron. He had to warn everybody.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oop. Here is the next chapter. This one is kinda a build-off from the last chapter because it's also Percy's POV.
> 
> Hope you guys liked it. It's kinda a filler chapter so not much is happening but the next one should be up sometime before Christmas? I think?


	8. Investigating the Investigator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The agents wonder why Detective Jackson is acting so weird as they wait for the unsub to make his next move.

Reid POV

Reid watched the detective stumble out of the room in surprise. 

“Is he—” Rossi turned to Captain Lewis. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah. This case is just hitting him hard.” The captain sighed. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this but he went and talked to Ms. Moore earlier today. According to one of my other officers, it didn’t go so well.”

“Do you know what happened?” JJ sounded worried. 

“My officer wasn’t inside with them but he said that the victim's mother yelled at Percy. Blamed him for her son's death, said it was Percy's fault that he wasn’t rescued.”

He’s going to take that hard. Reid remembered how upset Jackson had seemed at the crime scene earlier this morning. He already blamed himself for Austin Moore's death, hearing it from the victim's mother would only reinforce that idea in his head.

“I’ll talk to him after this meeting. Get him caught up on everything before going home. We all need the extra sleep.”

Hotch nodded in agreement. “This case is going to be long. We can’t have anyone burning out. It’s going to be all hands on deck for the next week or so until this unsub is caught.”

“Okay.” The captain clapped his hands together. “What else did you all find?”

“We’ve been looking for something that may connect the victims.” Prentis began. “We think they may have all gone to the same summer camp.”

“Summer camp?”

Reid nodded. “During our interview with Ms. Moore, she told us that her son attended the same camp each summer but refused to talk more about it or give the name. It is unusual for families to withhold any information that could be useful towards the investigation, so we looked into it.”

“I called the other victim’s families and confirmed that each of their children had also attended a summer camp.” JJ continued. “They were  _ all _ very hesitant to give information about the camp. Ryan Morriston’s mother, the second victim, eventually admitted that she hadn't actually been homeschooling her son. He was considered a ‘year-round’ camper and spent the majority of his time there.”

“Do we know anything about this camp? What it’s important? Why our unsub is after them?”

This time it was Morgan who answered. “No. And the families refuse to give us anything. So we’re once again stuck.”

“It could be some kind of cult,” JJ said thoughtfully. “The parents' reluctance to discuss it is a huge red flag. Whatever this camp is, it has complete control over all the victims' families.”

“And we think that Detec—” 

Rossi clapped a hand onto Reid's shoulder before he could finish. “We think anyone who has attended the camp is at a potential risk.”

The captain looked at the pair briefly, confused why Rossi had interrupted the younger agent.

“We know how the victims are connected, but we don’t know why the unsub is targeting them.” Hotch brought attention back to himself.

“What about the necklace thing?” Captain Lewis asked. “Did you come up with anything on why he was leaving them trophies?”

Prentiss stood up, walking over to where they had recently reorganized their crime board. “We no longer think the necklaces were left by our unsub.”

“What are they then?”

“The necklaces most likely belong to the kids.” Emily gestured to the timeline they had created. “We plotted when each victim started going to camp and it looks like the number of beads on the necklace corresponds to the number of years they attend camp.”

Lewis rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “So where does that leave us?”

“Honestly…” Hotch said. “Still in the same place. We know what connects them but unless the families give more information, we can’t predict the unsub’s next move, can’t predict who his next target is and can’t warn any potential victims because we still know next to nothing.”

“Aw, hell. I have to say it, agents… But I  was hoping for something a little more concrete.” He fidgeted with his belt uncomfortably.

“I think we all were, Captain,” Hotch responded. “Nobody wants to see any more kids getting hurt.”

“I’ll go check on my detective. Send him home for the night.” He paused already starting towards the door. “If you need anything just holler.”

The agents nodded, watching the officer leave.

Reid waited until the door closed behind the older man before turning on Rossi, mouth already open.

“Before you say anything, Spencer.” Rossi held up his hands in surrender. “We can’t bring the detective into this until we have solid proof that he is involved.”

Hotch agreed. “We can’t have the entire police department turn on us as we accuse one of their own.”

“He’s definitely hiding something.”

“I have to agree with Spence. Something just seems off with him.” JJ jumped in.

“Me too,” Prentiss said. “Did you guys see how he reacted when we brought up the ‘Strawberry Service’ van? He acted as if he had just been shot.”

“That was weird,” Morgan admitted. “We should get Garcia to do a background check. See if anything suspicious pops up.”

“Okay.” Hotch gave in. “But we are all in agreement that this doesn’t leave the room unless we find definitive proof that reveals Jackson knows more than he’s letting on.”

Ried was happy with that. If anyone could find out the detective’s secrets it was Garcia. She could find skeletons in even the deepest closets. 

“Now everyone finish up. We’re going back to the hotel. There’s nothing more we can do tonight but we should prepare for an early start tomorrow.”

\--

Reid woke up the next morning expecting to hear more bad news. Another child was kidnapped, more families were devastated as their lives changed forever. 

But nothing.

This wasn’t the type of unsub to have a long cooling-off period. If he wasn’t kidnapping, wasn’t torturing, wasn't killing… what was he doing? There was no way this man had any close friends or family, otherwise, they would have noticed his psychotic break. His dissociation from reality would be hard to ignore as his compulsion to capture these teenagers over toke his entire life.

The time spent both hunting and torturing his victims reveals that their unsub can’t possibly have a steady job. He has nothing occupying his time  _ except _ his mission. So why wasn’t it being executed?

Everyone was on edge, restless, waiting for the inevitable. The media had begun to spin ridiculous stories about what could have happened to this serial killer, who they recently dubbed ‘The Pied Piper.’ 

Despite the FBI’s continuous denunciation of naming killers, the media refused to listen. It was disrespectful to the victims and gave the unsubs a sense of power and control, egging them on. In this case, ‘The Pied Piper’ was a reference to the ancient German folk tale about the Piper of Hamelin who lured away the town’s children in an act of revenge. 

Nobody seemed to care that in the fictitious story the victims were much younger, not teenagers, nor about the fact that the piper did not torture or kill the children but returned them once he had been paid. Their unsub was not acting out of revenge against New York City, nor did he contact the parents of each victim to ask for a ransom.

For the first day of silence, the BAU looked over the Detective's past, desperate to find something that might implicate him, allowing them to question him as a ‘person of interest.’

“Okay,” Garcia began after they had made sure the conference room door was securely shut. “Although our friend has had an  _ extremely _ unusual childhood, there is nothing that points to him being involved in this case.”

“Talk to us. Tell us what you found.” Hotch ordered.

“The first major incident happened when he was twelve.” Garcias paused for dramatic effect. “He was flagged as a potential domestic terrorist by the FBI and the subject of a nation-wide manhunt.”

“Baby girl. What in the world…”

“I know, my handsome devil. He was initially accused of blowing up a bus full of innocent civilians as well as causing an explosion atop the St. Louis Gateway Arch.”

Reid couldn’t help but exchange incredulous looks with the rest of his team. How did someone manage to blow up a national monument at twelve years old?

“But fear not my furry friends.” Garcia continues. “Because he was acquitted of all charges after it was discovered that he had actually been kidnapped along with another girl and boy, the same age as him.”

Reid frowned, concentrating. “Wait. I think I remember reading about this in the paper.”

“Probably. It was all over the news for weeks.”

“There were some very interesting theories on what went down.” Spencer was confident that they were talking about the same boy he remembered researching years ago. “Originally his step-father, Gabe Ugliano, accused him of kidnapping his mother, Sally Jackson, but afterward people began to think that the step-father had actually been abusive towards both Percy and his mother.”

Rossi stared at the young agent. “Sometimes I forget that you  _ literally _ remember everything.”

Reid just shrugged as Garcia continued. “Yeah… kinda weird you mention Gabe actually because he has completely disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” Hotch asked.

“Yep. After Percy came home, he disappears without a trace. Never reported missing or anything. Just gone.”

“You said that was the first thing?” JJ interrupted the techies rambling. “What else is there?”

“Well, a couple years later he was expelled from his school, Goode High, after getting into a fight with a cheerleader during orientation that resulted in a fire.”

Morgan made a face. “Another fire?”

“Yep. And the cheerleader he fought… I couldn't find any record of her outside that one instance with Percy.”

“Why does that sound familiar?” Hotch mused out loud.

“Ryan Morriston,” Reid answered the rhetorical question. “That is exactly the same situation that resulted in the expulsion of our second victim Ryan Morriston.”

“Well, we can’t just detain the detective because he has a similar history to our victim. We need something real.” JJ said frustrated.

“What else Penelope?” Hotch pushed, trying to hurry their teammate back in Quantico.

“The last notable event _was_... he went missing during his senior year of high school.”

“Missing?”

“Missing,” Garcia repeated. “As in his mother filed an official report with the police. His school was notified and nobody knew where he was for months.”

“So how did they eventually find him?” Prentiss asked.

“They didn’t… not really. One day he was just back? His mother called police to cancel the alert on her son, he re-enrolled to finish the year and graduated.”

“So nobody knows what happened?” Hotch rubbed his nose, a recent tell he had developed that revealed how stressed their Unit Chief really was.

“Nobody official knows,” Garcia confirmed. “After that, he has lived a life as normal and vanilla as you can get. Got a degree at New Rome University in California, joined the NYPD a year later, and has been a decorated officer ever since.”

Morgan clenched his fist, accidentally crumpling the stack of papers in his hand. “That’s  _ it _ ?”

“Oh wait.” The BAU perked up as Garcia’s voice crackled once again. “That girl he was kidnapped with when he was twelve. She’s his finance! Isn’t that’s adorable… true love right ther—”

Rossi reached out to the conference phone and hung up before she could finish the thought. Despite their love for the technical analyst, it was sometimes hard to focus as she rambled on about essentially irrelevant information. They did  _ not _ need to pry into the Detective love life.

Reid sat quietly for a moment before breaking the silence. “So we have nothing.”

It wasn’t really a question that needed answering. Spencer knew they couldn’t question the detective without any hard proof. All Garcia’s search had revealed was Jackson’s unusually exciting childhood adventures. They couldn’t do anything. Back at square one.

\--

Another two days of inactivity passed before anything happened. 

Reid was re-reading reports and interviews for the hundredth time, searching for something he missed, when the man came in.

He was relatively tall but lean. A mop of curly brown hair hung from his blue eyes, bouncing as he strode through the station. Despite his small build, he pushed past all the officers in his way, making it to the middle of the room.

Reid watched the mysterious man, grateful for the distraction. The stranger spun around desperately, looking for someone specific in the crowd of police.

“Sir?” One woman asked, hand hovering over her sidearm carefully. “Can I help you?”

“I— I’m looking for Percy,” He cut himself off. “I mean, I’m looking for Detective Jackson.”

The entire room seemed to relax. Assuming that the man in front of them was a friend of their senior officer and therefore not a threat.

“Travis?” Jackson himself appeared in his office doorway before anyone could point the now identified man in the right direction.

“Percy. Thank the Gods.”

“Why are you here?” The detective sounded confused.

“It’s Conner. I think he—”

Percy stopped the other man before he could finish. “Come into my office.”

Travis nodded, looking around him as if noticing all the prying eyes for the first time, before following the detective to privacy. They shut the door, separating them from the main room and preventing anyone from eavesdropping on the conversation. Reid couldn’t help the disappointment that flooded through him. The young agent wasn’t usually prone to nosiness but he needed some excitement after days and days of absolutely nothing.

“What do you think that was all about?” JJ was the first to speak.

“Do you think there’s another victim?” Emily asked. “He sounded worried about… Cameron?”

“Connor.” Ried corrected.

“I don’t know.” Morgan was skeptical. “He called the detective by his first name. I think they know each other.”

“He could’ve just looked it up.”

“Eh. Unlikely.”

“I’m with Morgan,” Reid said, there was definitely some kind of history there. “The guy, Travis, looked so relieved to see our Detective.”

“An old friend then.” Rossi joined their debate. “Maybe from his adolescent fugitive days.”

“Shhhh… Everyone shut up. They’re coming towards us.” Prentiss whispered.

Spencer looked over his shoulder, craning to see if she was just messing with them. She wasn’t. He turned back to his reports, frantically trying to act as if he hadn’t just been gossiping about the detective, before realizing it was futile. 

Every cop in the station was shamelessly watching the pair make their way towards the BAU’s temporary home.

Detective Jackson knocked on the door politely, waiting until Hotch waved him in before entering. He pulled Travis, his — friend?— in after him.

Now, as they occupied the same room, Reid was able to examine the stranger more closely. His clothes were wrinkled as if he had slept in them the night before. His eyes were bloodshot, dragged down by heavy bags, a sure sign that Travis had spent the last day or so crying as opposed to sleeping. His floppy hair seemed to be less of a fashion statement and more of a cry for help.

Jackson shifted briefly, uncomfortable being the center of attention, before speaking. “We have another victim.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to anyone who celebrates and a Happy Holidays to those who don't. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.
> 
> The next one should be done in the next couple of days so stayed tuned...


	9. Returning to Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy and Travis explain to the BAU why they think Connor was taken by the unsub. Percy then goes back to camp to discuss how to proceed with the investigation.
> 
> IMPORTANT: Read my Notes for an explanation of the characters' ages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT:   
> This is an explanation of the character's ages. "Demorit" asked this in a comment so thank you for reminding me.
> 
> I probably should’ve put this earlier in the story, or in an AN somewhere in the first chapters but it's to late now, so I’ll just put it here instead? It’ll be explained a little bit in this chapter but I’m writing this as if Connor is 25. Travis and Percy (I think) are about the same age and both are older than Connor, I’m imagining like 27/28. So this is taking place 10 years after the Titan and Giant Wars.
> 
> Someone asked about the demigod victims… They’re like half OC and half actually in the PJO books. There is a son of Apollo called Austin, and a daughter of Hephestus called Nyssa but I’m not really sure about their ages? I made them up/changed them to fit in with the plot. This is the same as any other demigods that might pop up, most of them exist in PJO, but as minor minor characters so we don’t know much about them.
> 
> So in conclusion, this takes place 10 years after Kronos/Gaea, and most of my “OC” demigods were mentioned in PJO but I changed them a bit to better fit the plot.

Percy POV

Percy watched the BAU’s faces change with the new information. Two conflicting emotions battling for dominance.

He couldn’t help but feel the same way. Grateful that  _ something _ had happened to end the restless period of waiting. Watching the case grow cold as no new information was presented was painful, and yet it was nothing compared to knowing someone else was currently being tortured by a psychopath, especially someone he was so close to.

Percy had been surprised to see Travis in the police station but quickly ushered the other demigod into his office. The detective was getting more use out of the private room during this one case than he ever had previously.

He needed to make sure the son of Hermes had a coherent story to give the FBI. With the agents now having information about Camp Halfblood, even if it was just the name of their Strawberry Service, he was worried they were going to get too close.

“So what is the newest victim's name?” Hotch broke the silence, always the first to take action. “We need to look at every detail, take everything into account.”

“Connor…” Travis spoke hesitantly, intimated by the federal agents staring at him expectantly. “Connor Stoll.”

“And how old is Connor?”

“He just turned 25.”

The agents all paused, looking at each other awkwardly. They each seemed to be thinking the same thing, but were unwilling to voice it.

“What?” Percy asked, making the decision for them.

“It’s just— You’re… brother?” JJ paused, waiting for Travis to nod in confirmation before continuing. “Connor is a lot older than the other victims.”

Travis frowned, confused. “So what?”

“It’s unlikely for our unsub to have taken someone so much older than the other victims.” Reid jumped in. “Serial killers that have only killed one specific age group, rarely change that aspect of their victimology so deep into a spree.”

“Although it might not seem like it… Serial killers are more predictable than you realize.” Rossi added.

“No.” Travis shook his head. “Conner was taken. I can feel it.”

Percy was torn, although he trusted the BAU, he trusted Travis more. If he believed Connor had been kidnapped by their unsub, the son of Poseidon would stand by him.

Before the agents could cite any more statistics, Percy spoke up. “Maybe Connor was taken, or maybe he wasn’t. But this is our best lead right now… we should proceed as if Mr.Stoll is our next victim.”

“This case is going cold as we sit here doing nothing.” Morgan agreed. “If Conner has been abducted and we choose not to respond, we are ensuring his death.”

Hotch looked between Percy and Travis carefully, examining their faces. “Okay. We’ll take your statement.”

“Thank the Gods.” Travis looked up towards the ceiling, sending a quick prayer to his father.

Percy was briefly surprised that the other demigod still had faith in his father. Sure, Hermes is arguably one of the better Olympians but still… after weeks of silence, it was as if the Gods didn’t even care about their own children dying— murdered underneath their feet.

“So when did you last hear from Connor?” Rossi led the informal interview. “How do you know he has been abducted?”

“We were supposed to meet for lunch yesterday. At first, when he didn’t show, I wasn’t that worried. He’s always late. You know? But then he didn’t call… and didn’t answer when I did.”

“When was the last time you saw your brother?”

“I haven’t seen him since he finished his graduate program in the spring.” Travis smiled, proud of his brother. “He met this girl and they decided to backpack around Europe together before starting their careers.”

“And you sure he’s not with her?” Morgan interrupted.

“Yeah. She was from Switzerland or something… stayed back in Europe with her family while Connor came home. He called me to tell me he was back in the city.”

“I have a question that might seem out of place,” Reid began. “But it is apart of the investigation.”

“I’ll tell you anything. I just want to find my brother.”

“Did Connor ever attend a summer camp?”

Percy froze. When had camp become apart of the investigation? How had he missed this? He knew the agents had been suspicious after the Moore interview, but he assumed they dropped it when nothing came up from Garcia’s initial search.

Travis scratches his head nervously. “Yeah… You’re right. I don’t see how that is relevant.”

“I’m sorry but we can’t disclose too much information about the investigation to the public. If you’re not willing to cooperate, then we can’t help you.” Rossi said.

Percy stepped forward, dropping a hand onto Travis’s shoulder in support. “Look, Travis is a close friend. I would trust him with my life. He would never leak  _ anything _ to the media.”

The agents looked to their unit chief for permission. “We have found a connection between all the victims. Each attending a summer camp for an extended amount of time. We think it is the reason they are being targeted by our unsub.”

Percy exchanged looks with Travis as Agent Hotchner finished talking. They were closer than he had thought.

Di Immortals.

“Look. Travis.” Morgan leaned back in his chair. “If your brother didn’t go to 'camp' then your in luck. He’s probably fine, maybe his phone died and he got lost on the way to meet you. But if he  _ did _ go, then you need to tell us. We are your best chance to find him.”

Travis looked to Percy once more, still unsure what to do. He was desperate to save his brother, but he also knew the importance of keeping their world a secret from mortals. Who knew what would happen if the government knew the truth.

Demigods did not need another group hunting them, hoards of monsters were enough.

Percy nodded to the son of Hermes, giving him permission to speak the truth. If the BAU already knew about camp, what could giving them this do?

“Yeah. He went to summer camp.” Travis conceded.

“Why were you so reluctant to tell us?” Prentiss pushed for more information. “What is this camp? Why so secretive?”

Travis shook his head. Refusing to give anything else. “It doesn’t matter now.”

“Can you give up a description?” Hotch asked instead. “We’ll put out an APB.”

“He looks exactly like me, just two inches shorter. People always think we’re identical twins.”

Percy couldn’t help but smile at that. “It’s true. I couldn’t tell them apart for over a year.”

“So how do you two know each other?” JJ looked between the two demigods. 

Travis opened his mouth, before turning to Percy helplessly. The two demigods started at each other, trying desperately to think of something plausible. The son of Poseidon knew he should have expected this question. Gods he was so stupid sometimes. Obviously, the agents would be curious about how they met.

Somehow they had already figure out the camp connection, even if they weren’t exactly sure what the camp was. They couldn’t know that the lead Detective on this case also went to that same camp, and kept the information from federal agents, before Percy came up with a good cover story. 

“We— uh….” Travis floundered. “We went to school together… Right Perce?”

“Yeah.” Percy nodded unconvincingly. “We did go to school together.”

“Right…” Hotch stared at the two, easily seeing through the bluff but having no reason to challenge it.

\--

Percy left the station late, caught up once again in his paperwork. If anyone had told him that being a detective required so much writing, he never would have joined the academy. ADHD and dyslexia were not conducive to sitting at a desk all day, looking at small words on a computer.

Travis had left hours ago, promising to meet him at camp where all the senior campers and current head counselors were gathering. Annabeth was probably already there, he cursed himself for losing track of time.

He drove towards Long Island as fast as he dared. Technically, driving a police car, he could put on the lights and sirens but there wasn’t enough traffic this late in the day for it to be worth the risk. He didn’t need to receive any more lectures from his superiors about ‘improper use of equipment.’

Percy arrived at camp in under an hour, driving up the side of the hill to park his car. The path was barely noticeable, only his previous knowledge and slightly flattened grass any indication that he was heading in the right direction. 

The demigod bumped along as the path opened up to a small field, usually fairly empty, now inhabited by a couple unfamiliar vehicles as well as a few familiar ones. He recognized his fiance’s car in the makeshift parking lot, deciding to stop next to her. 

The field wasn’t used much, usually just to store the camp’s Strawberry Service vans. As Percy stepped out of his car, he realized how easy it would be to steal one. They were out of sight from both The Big House as well as the street, hidden behind a forest of trees. And technically, they were still outside camp borders. A clearsighted mortal could easily stumble onto the field and enter without permission.

He couldn't fault Chiron for failing to keep track of the number of vans either. Percy was well aware of how many vans were totaled by demigods or monsters while questing. It would be almost impossible to identify if a van was actually missing or just destroyed in a random landfill somewhere.

Percy shook his head, before heading back down the path and up the hill towards camp. He couldn’t focus on something that had already happened, something that was out of his control. All that mattered now, was rescuing Connor.

Percy walked across the borders, patting Peleus gently on the head as he passed the now enormous dragon. He remembered how small the friendly monster had been as a baby, remembered sitting and feeding him with Annabeth, Thalia, and Grover before the start of the war. 

“Will you ever stop growing?” Percy whispered more to himself than the dragon.

Peleus just huffed at the demigod in response, happy to be appreciated. As the dragon continued to grow, newer demigods began to avoid him. It was no longer cute to see his body curled up around Thalia’s tree but intimidating. He remembered one boy had to be carried, sobbing, up the hill after refusing to enter camp on his own, too scared to walk past the monster. Percy couldn't exactly blame them for being afraid, they hadn’t raised the dragon, didn’t realize that Peleus was basically just a large cat.

If cats had invulnerable scales, thick talons instead of claws, could breathe fire, fly, and continued to grow with age until they eventually reached at least 50 feet long.

Percy laughed quietly, it sounded ridiculous, even to himself.

He looked up as lights began to illuminate his face. The Big House stood unchanged at the top of the hill, beyond it the rest of camp.

After the second war, Camp Half-Blood expanded. Taking notes from the Roman Legion and creating a safe place for demigods to grow old, raise their kids in peace. It was nothing  _ close _ to the size of New Rome, but they were constantly building.

Annabeth oversaw most of the construction, so Percy knew how much work was being done to grow the mini-city. He was also aware of the current debate on names. The Ares cabin was dead set on calling their city ‘New Sparta’ while the Athena cabin believed it should be ‘New Athens.’ Nobody had offered an alternative, so the entire camp had taken sides until they reached a stalemate, evenly split. Capture the Flag was no longer meaningless fun, instead, they fought for the right to name a city.

Percy couldn’t help but be slightly envious. He wished his camp experience had been about fighting over names instead of fighting the entire Titan and Giant armies.

“Perry Johnson.” A voice broke through his musings.

“Dionysus.” Percy greeted, ignoring the incorrect pronunciation of his name. “It’s been a while.”

“I see you’re still disrespectful to your elders. The campers these days address me as Lord.”

“Well… they just don’t know you like I do.”

“Don’t test me, Percival.”

Percy stared at the God as he stepped up onto the Big House porch. Dionysus was lounged in the farthest rocking chair, choosing to sit in complete darkness. He was sipping on something, probably a Diet Coke, but it was too dark for Percy to see for sure.

“You’re not inside?” The son of Poseidon asked, although he already knew the answer.

“You know I can’t interfere. Daddy’s orders.”

“Tell your ‘daddy’...” Thunder rumbled ominously at his tone. “...that we would appreciate some guidance. Kids are dying as he sits up on a cloud doing nothing.”

Dionysus stopped rocking, leaning forward so his face was illuminated by the light from inside. “Careful.” He warned. “You might be the Hero of Olympus, but you’re still mortal.”

“Yeah.” Percy sighed as his anger melting into exhaustion.

“Go inside. They’re all waiting for you, Jackson.”

Percy, for once, followed the god's orders. He knew that although Dionysus pretended not to remember anyone’s name, it was only a façade. He cared for each and every camper the same way that Chiron cared for his students.

Being director of Camp Half-Blood may have initially been a punishment, but the wine God had grown to appreciate the position. He understood the demigods in a way no other Olympian ever would.

He opened the door, squinting in the light, and followed the raised voices that led to the camps makeshift conference room. He felt nostalgic as he entered, reminiscing all the strategy meetings that had taken place at this exact table.

“Percy!” Chiron's voice cut through the noise, quieting any arguing campers. “I’m glad you made it.”

Percy looked around the room, cataloging each face. Half of the seven were present, Piper, Leo, Annabeth, and himself as well as Nico, who was somewhat of an honorary member. The Romans had been warned to stay out of New York City, but it was rare they ventured so far east anyways. This problem did not concern them, therefore neither Praetor nor Frank or Hazel were present. 

There were a bunch of new head counselors Percy didn’t recognize among the older but familiar faces. It was weird to see such young demigods sitting around their table, but the son of Poseidon knew that he had once been in their exact shoes.

They stared at Percy in awe. The more experienced demigods weren’t as bad as some of the newest campers, but each of these counselors had grown up to the heroic tales of Perseus Jackson, Hero and Savior of Olympus, Survivor of Tartarus, Bearer of the Sky, Praetor of the Twelfth Legion, Bearer of the Achilles Curse, Slayer of Kronos… he could go on. As years passed, his list of titles grew and grew. It had gotten to the point where Percy couldn’t even remember them all, wasn’t even sure if they were all accurate.

He had heard one of the camp songs about his quests and couldn’t help but laugh. They made him seem like some invincible force that defeated both Kronos and Gaea by himself. The younger campers had begun to treat him like some kind of celebrity. Percy would never forget when one adorable daughter of Demeter had asked for his autograph. Annabeth had laughed about it for days, retelling the story to each of their friends individually.

“It’s good to see everyone.” Percy finally made eye contact with his fiance, smiling at her from across the room.

Annabeth stood behind one of her half-brothers. By leaving camp and starting a life in the real world, the couple had given up their position as counselors. Although Annabeth often returned to help guide the younger demigods, it was no longer her place to make any final decisions. 

Percy was still technically the head counselor of the Poseidon cabin but that would only last until his father granted him a new half-sibling.

“Let's get this meeting started.”

As soon as Chiron gave permission to speak, the younger campers erupted once again. Their voices rising to be heard over each other.

“Why has nobody found this psycho yet?”

“What are we supposed to do?”

“This is insane. All the younger campers are scared!”

“The  _ younger _ campers are scared. Dude, I’m scared.”

“My brother was killed and it’s like you all don’t even care.”

Everyone quieted down as the last statement seemed to echo around the room. The head counselor of the Apollo cabin sat still as all eyes turned to her. “We need to stop arguing and actually do something productive. For the ones that didn’t make it.”

The demigods nodded in agreement. Will Solace stepped out of the shadows, away from Nico’s side to place a hand on his sister's shoulder. They may not be the same age, but they were still family. Will hadn't known his brother personally, but losing any sibling still hurt.

“We believe my brother, Connor, has been taken,” Travis spoke up from where he stood behind the new Hermes head counselor.

Whispers broke out as the news of the most recent abduction hit. It wasn’t just the younger camper being affected now, it was all demigods. Even the veterans, who had somehow survived two wars, were in danger. 

“Percy…” Chiron took control of the room again. “Tell us what you know.”

“We know that the unsub is using a camp van to kidnap his victims. So do  _ not _ , under any circumstance, get into any camp van unless someone you recognize, most likely Argus, is driving.”

“Stranger danger?” The head of the Ares cabin spoke up. “That’s your big advice? Don’t be stupid?”

“Fuck you!” That was the Apollo counselor again. “My brother was not stupid.”

“Neither was Nyssa.” The representative of Hephestus pointed angrily at the son of Ares. “I don’t want to hear — you— ever talk about being ‘stupid,’ Jake.” She spat out his name as if it disgusted her.

“What’s that supposed to mean  _ Malory _ ?” Jake said in the same tone, using her name as if it was an insult.

“It means,” Percy could feel the tension rise as Malory responded. “That you have the lowest IQ in this room. By  _ far _ .”

“Take it back.” Jake stood up, insulted.

“Never.” Malory matched his energy, glaring furiously at the other demigod from across the table.

Percy watched the argument escalate wide-eyed. Sure, he remembered getting into it with Clarisse countless times, but watching a fight happen in third person? He felt embarrassed for his past self. Is this how everyone else felt watching their arguments? Probably.

“Don’t you dare talk to my boyfriend like that.” A son of Aphrodite stood up as well, beautiful face furrowed in anger as he heightened the fight further.

The head of the Demeter cabin snorted.

“What’s so funny flower girl?” The Aphrodite counselor’s rage was immediately shifted towards the daughter of Demeter.

“Nothing.” She laughed again. “Just the thought of you thinking you can rescue your boyfriend without chipping a nail."

“What the Hades did you say?” Jake lost his staring content to glare at whoever had just insulted his lover. “You don’t think my boyfriend can fight? Just because his mother is Aphrodite?”

“EVERYONE STOP TALKING NOW!” Piper interrupted, voice laced with charmspeak, finally sick of the pointless babble.

Percy could feel the power in her words, it washed over the room, forcing everyone present into an uncomfortable silence.

“Nobody is going to insult anybody.” The room nodded along with the powerful woman controlling them. “Nobody is going to start any more stupid arguments. And Percy is going to finish explaining the situation without interruption.”

“Thank you for that Piper.” Percy nodded at the daughter of Aphrodite gratefully. “What I was about to say... was that both the FBI and NYPD are aware of camp. They don’t know anything about the Gods nor about what we do here. All they know is that each of the victims were campers.”

“We need a convincing cover story.” Annabeth’s brother concluded.

“Exactly. When they start asking questions… Because they inevitably will. We need to be ready with a somewhat plausible story.”

“So...” Chiron clapped his hands together, startling any campers still mesmerized by Piper's spell, out of their trance. “Any ideas?”

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while actually,” Annabeth spoke up. “Since Percy first told me about the case actually. We can say that this camp is for the children of ‘powerful’ people.”

“What do you mean by powerful?” Nico asked.

“Politicians, CEOs, millionaires, crime lords… basically any wealthy person that may fear for the safety of their illegitimate child.”

Annabeth’s brother nodded in agreement, their mother’s wisdom helping him to see the practicality of her plan. “We could say that each of the parents were forced to sign an NDA to prevent any word of the children from reaching the press.”

“That would explain why they were so reluctant to inform the FBI about camp.” Percy sighed in relief, glad he was marrying such a smart woman.

“And what about the Gods. How do we explain them?” Hephestus’s daughter, Malory, asked.

“We don’t,” Percy said. “We don’t mention them at all.”

“But what if something slips?”

Before Percy could say anything, his fiance interrupted, already coming up with a solution. “It’s just the camp's theme. Kids are placed in different cabins based on their personality traits.”

“I’ll need to call the parents of the victims.” Chiron looked thoughtful. “Make sure they are all on the same page in case the FBI asks any more questions. But I— I think it’ll work.”

“That  _ actually _ kinda makes sense.” Travis sounded surprised.

“It’s not foolproof.” Annabeth clarified. “But it’s better than nothing.”   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was dummy thicc, I know. My longest yet so I hope you all enjoyed it.  
> Shout out to "Cat" for some inspiration on Annabeth's cover story. Hopefully, it makes sense?
> 
> The next chapter should be out in a couple of days again, I'm almost done. It's also a pretty long one so brace yourselves.
> 
> IMPORTANT: If anyone missed my author's note at the top of the page and is curious about the characters' ages, definitely scroll up because it explains everything. I think? Let me know if I missed something.


	10. Connor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new POV. Connor is abducted and tortured by the unsub.

Connor POV  _ (a couple days ago) _

He was walking to meet Travis, weaving through the busy streets, minding his own business, when the van pulled up next to him. Connor didn’t look, tried to ignore the man that was probably trying to sell him something. He was  _ not  _ about to get high before reunited with his brother.

“Hey!” Connor continued walking. “Kid!”

The demigod stopped. He was honestly insulted.

“I’m not a kid.”

The man inside raised his hands in amusement. “Sorry. I was just trying to get your attention.” 

“I know.” He raised an eyebrow. “I was ignoring you.”

Connor looked at the other man more closely. Despite the sunlight, the driver seemed to be covered in shadows, face mostly obscured by the darkness.

He was about to flip him and continue on his merry way, when he noticed the insignia painted onto the side of the van. ‘Delphi Strawberry Services.’ 

A camp van? What was it doing in the middle of the city? He knew they delivered strawberries to various restaurants across New York but that was only on weekends. He had sneaked onto enough transports to know their exact schedule.

“You’re from camp?” Connor stepped off the sidewalk, into the street, to lean against the door.

The driver nodded. 

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to pick you up.”

“Huh?” Connor was confused. “Why?”

“Chiron sent me. He needs your help immediately.”

Connor frowned. Chiron hadn't asked for his help in years. And when he did want to talk, the centaur always called first.

The son of Hermes leaned his head into the open window. “Really? He sent you? I don’t even know you.”

“I guess the usual guy was busy.”

“The usual guy?” Connor repeated.

“Yeah, you know… the one with all the eyes.”

“You mean Argus?”

“Yeah him.” The driver waved his hand dismissively. “Come on. We’re wasting time.”

Connor stepped back slightly, suddenly remembering his brother's warning. Apparently, young demigods were being kidnapped and tortured across the city. He was not about to be one of them.

“You really don’t recognize me? I don’t look familiar at all?”

The son of Hermes narrowed his eyes as the other man leaned towards him, into the light. He was old, well… middle-aged but older than the demigod had expected. Most of Camp Half-Blood’s employees were immortal, they didn’t age like normal people. It wasn’t often he saw someone looks so tired in the Greek world. 

The driver had pale skin, dark black hair, and intense eyes. He was Asain... maybe Japanese?

And now that his face was illuminated, Connor had to admit that the man did look slightly familiar. He must’ve seen him around camp sometime. There were so many nature spirits, sometimes it was hard to keep track. And after the wars ended, minor gods sometimes popped in to help out, eager to meet their kids after so many years of being treated as outcasts.

“Why did you say Chiron sent you again?”

“There’s an emergency.” The man looked relieved that Connor seemed to believe him. “At camp.”

“An emergency? What’s going on?”

“I don’t have time to explain! Chiron will tell you everything once we arrive.”

Connor opened the door hesitantly, looked back towards where his brother would be waiting. “I don’t— my brother, Travis, is waiting for me. We’ll have to pick him up too.”

“Travis?” The man hesitated, tilting his head as if recognizing the name. “He’s already at camp. He was worried about you, I assured him that I’d pick you up safely.”

Connor laughed to himself, that did sound like Travis. Always worried about him for no reason. He was a full adult now, college  _ and _ graduate school finished, a new job lined up, everything was perfect. And yet, his brother still acted like he needed protection. 

If anything, it was Travis who needed a babysitter. Which he had. Katie Gardner never failed to keep his brother in line.

“But why didn’t he call me?” Connor still wasn’t completely convinced. “He wouldn't just leave me hanging like this.”

The man shrugged. “He knew I was coming to get you? Things were just too crazy and he forgot? You know camp gets during a crisis.”

That was true, Connor nodded. People panicked and the usually peaceful camp became so chaotic, it was impossible to get anything done.

The son of Hermes relented, hopping in the familiar van, eager to finally reunite with his brother. It had been almost a year since he had seen the other man. He wondered if anything had changed. Probably not. Camp Half-Blood had an unusual way of remaining exactly the same, even as everything changed.

It was probably the people. No matter how many cabins were added, Chiron and Dionysus always stayed. No matter how big their version of “New Rome” grew, demigods were still sent on seemingly pointless quests across the country, the Gods kept having affairs with mortals, and their children continued to pay the price.

It was an endless cycle. One that Connor, unfortunately, loved. He wouldn’t trade this life for anything.

The demigod was startled from his thoughts as the van jerked forward.

“Sorry, sorry.” His driver apologized. “She’s a little old. Get’s stuck sometimes.”

“All good man. I know what these vans are like, have driven my fair share over the years.”

The stranger looked over, doing a double-take. “Put your seatbelt on man. Your brother would kill me if you got hurt.”

“Just don’t crash?”

The man looked at him, unamused. Hades. Seat belts were just so constricting, for no reason. Well, there is a reason but Connor was not a fan. He reached towards his right shoulder anyway. Yanking on the belt in an attempt to pull it across his chest. 

Nothing. It was stuck.

He shrugged. “I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

“I got it.” His driver sighed, pulled the car to the side of the road, and reached towards the demigod. Connor leaned back, giving him easier access to the seatbelt.

Ouch. He felt something prick his neck. “What the Hades?”

Connor pulled away from the sensation. His seatbelt was still not buckled.

“What was that?” The demigod turned towards the man in charge of taking him to camp. 

Instead of looking worried, the stranger was watching him carefully. Connor's eyes were drawn to his hand. The other man was holding a syringe. The plunger was pushed all the way down, completely empty.

“What’s— whas going on?” His words came out slurred, voice calmer than expected. He had tried to yell.

Connor reached towards the door, pulling weakly at the handle. It was locked.  He didn’t remember locking the door. He turned back towards the driver, suddenly frantic.

The other man just sat there, completely still, content to watch him struggle.

“I don under—” His vision began to blur, “stand.”

He blinked desperately, but his eyes refused to clear. “Whaa di you doo… to meh.”

Connor tried to throw a punch, tried to swing, but his limbs had stopped responding.  _ He _ was panicking, but his body wasn’t. 

“Hel…” He tried to scream. People were passing by him, only a few feet from the van, unaware of what was happening inside. He was being kidnapped in broad daylight, in the middle of a city filled with millions of people. 

They walked by him, completely unaware. 

Travis was waiting for him only a block away, impatient, probably assuming that his brother was just late. Nobody was going to help him. And he couldn't help himself.

His heart should have been racing, chest flooded with adrenaline but instead, it was barely beating. He could feel his eyes begin to close. No matter how hard he tried, his lids were too heavy. Each blink was exhausting.

He didn’t want to go to sleep, afraid of where he would wake up. He prayed desperately to Hermes, to his father. But the god was silent, refused to answer. 

Instead, he received darkness.

\--

He woke up disorientated. Where was he? What happened? 

His head pounded. The son of Hermes was a known partier, often outdrank guys twice his size but this was the worst hangover he had ever experienced. 

Di Immortals. He couldn’t even remember what he had done last night.

Connor groaned, reached to rub his temples in an effort to relieve some pressure. But he couldn’t? His arms were stuck. What was going on?

The feeling rushed back into his limbs all at once. Suddenly, his shoulders throbbed in addition to his head. He looked up, focused on his hands, on what was limiting his movements. Around each wrist was a thick rope, tied tightly, almost cutting off his circulation. Connor flexed his fingers uncomfortably before continuing to examine his bindings.

The rope was looped through some shackle on the wall, pinning his arms above his head. The demigod shifted, sitting up straighter to redistribute his weight so it was no longer pulling at his arms. 

The releif was immeidente. 

He tried not to groan, instead checking his surroundings. Where was he? He thought back to the last thing he remembered. Getting into a vehicle to go back to camp, to see his brother again for the first time in months.

But Travis was not here.

He closed his eyes in concentration. Remembered feeling a prick on the side of his neck, looking over to see— oh. The driver had drugged him.

Whoever that man was, had kidnapped him and was now holding him captive in a dusty old basement. It must be the same guy that was killing demigods in New York City. There’s no way two serial killers are hunting the children of Greek gods in the same city. How had he been so stupid? Why did he get in the car with someone he didn’t recognize?

Stranger  _ fucking  _ danger. How’d he forget his mother's first life lesson?

The sound of keys jingling in a lock caught his attention. He watched as the door began to open. 

In walked— who he assumed was his abductor? The man stood in the shadows, obscuring his face.

“What the Hades is this?” Connor tried to yell at the man. Instead, he just croaked, throat begging for water.

“I guess you’ll be thirsty.” The man raised his hand, holding a water bottle. “They always are.”

How many people had he killed? Connor tried to remember what his brother had told him, wished he had paid more attention to the older Stoll.

The son of Hermes sat obediently on the cold ground, conserving his energy, and accepted the water that was poured into his mouth. 

The man gripped his chin almost gingerly. Coaxing the water past his lips and into his mouth. 

“Slowly.” His abductor murmured as Connor began to gulp the water greedily. It was almost as good as ambrosia. 

The demigod hesitated but obeyed. Maybe he could get on the stranger's good side, somehow get himself released. Even as he thought it, Connor realized it was hopeless. Why would Connor be different from any of the other victims this guy had literally tortured.

He jerked back suddenly as the man pat his cheek, surprised by his tenderness. The liquid slipped past his lips, spilling down his shirt.

Connor shivered. The room was freezing and now he was wet. It was technically still summer, but somehow the drafts within this building were cold. 

He wondered where they were. If they were even still in the city.

“So…” His abductor began, setting down the water on a table. “What’s your name?”

Connor didn’t answer.

“Who is your parent?” The man tried again. 

Connor stayed silent.

“The younger kids were a lot more cooperative.”

“Fuck you.”

The man hummed pleasantly. “That’s not very nice. Is it?”

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“I just want information. That’s it. Simple really.”

“No mask?” Connor stared at him, making a point of examining the other man’s face. 

“You already saw my face in the van didn’t you? What’s the point of hiding now?”

Connor, once again, couldn't help but think the other man looked familiar. It’s what caused him to eventually agree to get in the van. He assumed he had seen the driver somewhere at camp. Now, even though the man was right in front of him, Connor still couldn't figure it out.

“So… Tell me about yourself.”

Connor shook his head stubbornly. “No.”

“I was afraid you’d say that.” He reached behind him, grabbing the water again, offering it to the demigod. “Here, have some more.”

Connor took a sip hesitantly, unsure where this was going. The unexpected kindness was catching him off guard. He’d rather be tortured than… whatever this was. 

The bottle tipped, missing his mouth.

“Oops, my bad.” The man held up a towel. “Let me get that for you.”

He pressed the towel against Connor’s mouth and nose gently. The demigod’s heart rate increased, he was in danger. The man didn’t remove the cloth. 

“What are you doing?” Connor tried to speak through the other man’s hand.

“Shhhhhh…” His abductor increased the pressure until he could barely breathe.

Connor whipped his head to the side, trying to throw off the older man. 

It didn’t work.

The man took the water and began to pour it over the towel. He released the pressure of his hand, allowing Connor to take a deep breath.

The demigod gasped blindly, only to inhale water. He coughed trying to expel the liquid but it was futile. The man poured more water over his face as he struggled. His body spasmed unable to breathe, to rid the water from his lungs.

He could feel his body weaken, his motions becoming sluggish as his body began to lose oxygen. He opened his eyes, unable to remember when they had closed but saw only black. Right before he lost consciousness, the towel was removed.

He heaved desperately, grateful for the oxygen.

Almost immediately the towel returned. Connor cried out, pleading but it turned into a soundless splutter as more water was poured into his mouth. He tried to hold his breath, but his body refused. Coughing weakly instead, inhaling water as if it was air.

He felt the darkness creep back, tried to reach for the relief he knew it would provide.

But his abductor was not so kind.

The towel was removed, leaving him twitching on the ground. His shoulders screamed as he hung limply from his hands unable to find the strength to sit properly.

“This would be much easier if you would just tell me what I want to know.”

Connor remained quiet, too busy trying to breathe.

The man tsked unhappily and gripped the demigod's hair, yanking his head back roughly. Before Connor could protest, the towel was once again pressed firmly against his face. He pulled desperately at his bonds, trying to escape.

It didn’t give.

The son of Hermes, prayed blindly to his father, hoping it would not go unanswered. Hoped the Messenger God wouldn't ignore him as he drowned on the floor of a dirty cellar somewhere in New York City.

He didn’t realize he had passed out, didn’t realize the towel was gone until he heard an unfamiliar voice whispering in his ear. 

“Just breathe son.” He was propped up against someone's chest. A hand was petting his hair gently. “It’s okay. Just breathe.”

“Dad?” He turned blindly toward the voice, sinking into the comforting embrace.

“Glad you’re back with us.” The demigod was pushed off. “I thought I’d lost you for a second.”

“Dad? What are yo—”

Slap! His face stung from the force of the swing. The cold air only amplifying the pain.

“I’m not your father.” Connor came back to himself. Looking blearily at the man who had just been holding him. It was not Hermes.

“You…” The demigod scrambled to get his feet underneath him, momentarily forgetting where he was. 

The man only signed, watching Connor struggle. “If you would just  _ talk  _ to me.”

“You’ll what— Let me go?” He shook his head. “You expect me to believe that?”

“Yes.”

“I know what you look like. I’ll go to the police. Tell them everything.”

“I don’t care. I just want answers.”

“Answers? About what?”

“The Gods. Tell me about the Gods. About the war.”

Connor hesitated. Obviously, the other man knew  _ something _ . He was only kidnapping demigods, he was driving a camp van but he was also clearly mortal.

“I don’t know what you're talking about.” Connor decided to play dumb.

“Don’t do that.” His abductor turned torturer was suddenly furious. “Don’t play that card with me.”

The demigod did his best to look confused. “I don’t understand. I’m not very religious.”

The man hissed, suddenly in his hand was a knife. Connor tried to shrink back, regretting his decision but unable to escape as the man approached him slowly as if stalking an animal.

He pressed the knife against Connor's chest, he could feel it’s edge through his shirt.

“Look, you— you don’t have to do this.”

“That’s the thing.” He dragged the blade down, ripping the demigod's shirt, slicing open his skin. “I do.”

Connor shook his head furiously, desperately holding back any sounds of pain. Trying to remain in control of his emotions.

“It’s pointless to resist.” The man pressed the knife against his cheek, drawing blood. “It’ll only hurt more.”

The demigod lifted his eyes, meeting the older man’s eyes in defiance. 

“So that’s how it's gonna be?”

Connor spat on him in response.

The man wiped his face angrily, before slapping the demigod with the same hand. Smearing his own spit across his face.

He raised his knife again, cutting Connor over and over. Each swipe of the knife left a long but shallow gash. Inflicting the maximum amount of paint without letting the son of Hermes bleed out. 

His face was wet with tears. Able to hold in his whimpers but not able to stop the tears of pain from running down his cheeks. He wished it would end. Prayed he would pass out. 

The man must’ve noticed his prayers because he stopped cutting. “Praying to daddy? Does he ever answer?”

More tears leaked out of his eyes. He shook his head, not meaning to answer the question.

“Why do you protect them, when they refuse to protect you?” The man stood up. “If they cared about  _ any  _ of you, they should've killed me by now.”

“I’m not protecting them.”

He was protecting his brother. He was protecting all the other demigods at camp, he wouldn’t betray them.

“Then who?” When Connor refused to answer, the man threw his knife across the room in frustration. 

He stood above the demigod, looking down in disgust, lip curled, matching his fist. Connor wasn’t sure if the man even realized what he was doing.

His torturer reared back striking him across the face, this time with a closed hand. The son of Hermes coughed, jaw throbbing in response. As the second fist came flying, he turned his head, trying to protect himself. He felt his lip split, felt blood fill his mouth.

Before he could spit, another fist slammed against his cheek, rattling his teeth. The blood dripped from his mouth, out of his control.

He groaned, making noise for the first time, but It only seemed to anger the man further.

“This is your fault.” His leg wound back, poised to kick.

“If you would just talk.” A foot slammed into his stomach.

“I wouldn’t have to do this.” Another kick sent him slamming back into the stone wall. An old nail pierced his unprotected back.

“Everything that happens next is on you.” Another kick connected. Connor heard a crack, briefly worried if he had broken a rib before the pain clouded his thoughts.

He winced again, bracing himself to feel an explosion of pain, but nothing. He raised his head, watching his abductor through a swollen eye. He had picked up the towel again, another bottle of water clutched in his grasp.

“No, no, no, no, no…” Connor whimpered. Anything but that. He could endure the pain, could fight against physical punishment, but the helplessness of being unable to breathe? He didn’t know if he could survive more water.

The man smiled. “Then tell me your name.”

“Connor.” The demigod relented. “Connor Stoll.”

“Connor Stoll… and you said your brother was Travis?” He paused, briefly ignoring the man lying on the floor in front of him as he searched through his memories. “The goddamn Stoll brothers. Son’s of Hermes… am I right?” He turned back to the abused demigod.

Connor only stiffened, but it was enough for the man to assume he was correct. 

“Oh my.” He stared at his prize in glee. “The others— the others were innocent. They didn’t deserve to die, but you? You know everything, can tell me everything.”

“What do you mean, didn’t deserve to die?”

“Collateral damage.” The man shrugged. “I realized that didn’t actually know anything, they were too young. But, I had to kill them. They should be grateful that it was quick and painless, a shot to the head.”

“Grateful?” Connor laughed in his abductor's face. “After you tortured them? Killed them? There were just kids! Your— you’re a  _ monster _ .”

“They’d seen my face.”

“I thought you said you didn’t care.”

Connor was slapped again. He couldn't stop himself from crying out. It hurt more now that his face had already been abused, was already weak and broken.

“Are you even paying attention. They couldn't be allowed to live. Obviously, I still need to complete my mission. Find my son. I can’t do that if I’m captured by police officers.”

The son of Hermes just stared at him in disbelief. Who was this man? He was crazy, delusional even. Somehow thought what he was doing was okay, was justified. As if he’d end up anywhere but the Fileds of Punishment.

“You really don’t recognize me?”

Connor shook his head, still trying to place the familiar features.

“You knew my son.” The man tilted his head, close one eye. “Lived with him for a few years too.”

Suddenly it clicked. It was— no way. He met the eyes of his now identified abductor, trying to see if the other man had noticed his realization.

He had.

“So now you know.” The older man held up his hands, laughing psychotically, staring at the demigod slumped on the floor in front of him. “Now you understand.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is pretty chunky to, hopefully, you all liked it. I was a little scared to do another POV but I wanted Connor's perspective on the whole situation. You know how CM sometimes shows the unsub and their victims? This was my attempt. Lmk if it worked.
> 
> I have literally no life so the next chapter will probably be up in the next couple days.


	11. Secrets Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An accident puts Percy in an uncomfortable situation where he is forced to reveal information to the agents.

Reid POV

The BAU arrived at the station early the next morning. There wasn’t much new material to go over but it seemed wrong to sleep in while a victim was being tortured.

Reid couldn't figure out why their unsub had suddenly made such a drastic change in victimology. It was unheard of. Serial killers choose victims based on their compulsion, it didn’t make sense for Connor Stoll, more than 10 years older than the other victims to fit into the unsub’s ritual.

Or maybe that is exactly why Connor was taken. If the unsub _was_ in fact torturing the children for information, he had so far been unsuccessful. Perhaps he thought Connor would know more simply because he was older and had been a camper for longer.

It was a stretch, but it was also the only answer that made any sense. He shook his head. It was too early for this.

Spencer shuffled over to where the coffee maker was hidden, still half asleep. Rossi had beat him there, already pouring himself a cup of the somewhat foul-tasting liquid. 

“Mornin Reid.” The older agent raised his cup in greeting.

“Hey, Rossi.” He began to pour himself some as well, desperate for the energy he knew the coffee would provide. 

Dave sat leaned against the counter, patiently waiting for Reid to finish so they could walk through the precinct together. The young agent was grateful for the company. They stood in a comfortable silence enjoying each other's presence without feeling the need to speak.

“Do you think that’s enough?” Rossi asked sarcastically as the younger agent finished pouring out a generous cup of caffeine, no sugar or cream.

Reid just rolled his eyes, looking back at the Italian as he walked through the doorway— straight into Detective Jackson.

“Hades!” Reid ignored the strange choice of curse words, more focused on how his coffee had transferred from the cup and onto the police officer.

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”

Percy was already unbuttoning his collar, eager to keep the hot liquid away from his skin. “It’s okay. My bad. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“No, no it’s on me. I shouldn’t be walking so fast while carrying hot things.”

“Do you need to borrow a shirt?” Rossi stepped in holding a clump of napkins. “I think I have an extra.”

“Nah, man. I’m good. I always keep a change of clothes in my office.” The detective laughed to himself, seeming only mildly annoyed about his soaking jacket. “I’m cursed with bad luck. This is not the first time I’ve needed to change.”

“I’m so sorry,” Reid said again.

“I’m serious dude.” Jackson continued to unbutton his uniform, dabbing at his shirt with the napkins Rossi had provided. “It’s all good.”

The two FBI agents hovered, unsure how to help but unwilling to leave the officer alone with his wet clothes. Reid had always been awkward, working for the BAU had helped, but he was still unsure how to act in most social situations. Especially something like this.

Reid watched as Jackson bent down, searching for the paper towels stored underneath their coffee maker. As the detective leaned over, shirt open and unbuttoned, something caught Reid's eye.

Hanging around Percy’s shoulders was a beaded necklace. 

Reid leaned over the policeman trying to get a closer look without being too conspicuous. He saw Rossi watching him out of the corner of his eye, but ignored the older man. Focused instead on Jackson’s neck.

The beads were small, slightly misshapen but still clearly round. Each one had a different design painted on, too small for Reid to identify, but unmistakably strung onto a piece of fraying twine.

It was identical to the ones worn by each of the victims.

Reid made eye contact with Rossi. The other man could tell that something had caught the young agent's attention, but wasn’t sure what. Spencer gestured to his own neck before pointing to the detective.

Maintaining their silence, Rossi looked to where Reid indicated. His eyes widened as he came to the same conclusion. 

Percy had gone to the camp. 

The NYPD’s lead detective had known exactly what connected each of the victims and purposefully kept it from federal agents during a serial killer investigation.

“Jackson.” Rossi’s voice was hard, all previous comradery gone.

“Hmmm.” The detective looked up, still unaware. “What is it?”

“We don’t want to cause a scene.” Percy frowned as Rossi continued. “But you’re gonna have to come with us. To have a little chat.”

“I don’t—”

Ried interrupted before he could finish. “We know that you’ve been withholding information.”

“I think you're making a mistake.” Jackson’s face fell into a blank mask, to match the agents. “I don’t know what you're talking about.”

Despite his words, Reid knew exactly how right they were just by examining the detective's micro-expressions. His face was closed off, guarded as he looked up at the two agents staring down at him. He seemed to realize the vulnerability of his own position on the ground and rose to his full height.

As the detective stood, the necklace that had once been tucked underneath his t-shirt, now sat innocently on his chest, in clear view.

Percy was about the same height as Reid but a lot bigger in every other way. Where Reid was thin and wiry, Percy was lean and muscular. The young agent couldn’t help but be intimated by the other man. He knew the detective would never attack two federal agents, but without his usual crooked smile, Percy was scary. His eyes were piercing, almost daring Reid to challenge him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about agents.” Jackson crossed his arms. “But I don’t appreciate being falsely accused of a crime.”

“ _Falsely_ accused?” Rossi laughed, without humor.

When the detective refused to back down, maintaining his innocence, Reid dipped his head, looking pointedly at the other man's chest.

Reid saw the exact moment Percy realized what was happening. His hand came up involuntarily to grip the necklace, his face dropped, and his entire body lost its aggression. He leaned back against the counter, looking between the two agents warily.

“We just want to talk.” Rossi raised his hands in surrender, treating Percy like a cornered unsub as opposed to a trained professional. “We aren’t going to make an arrest if you just cooperate.”

Reid watched the detective’s body language carefully. Looking for any indication that the other man was going to run, but only saw resignation.

Percy was an experienced officer, he knew exactly how this would play out if he chooses to fight. Even if he was able to overpower both Reid and Rossi, he would never make it out of the station. He had no choice but to obey the agents.

\--

Reid stood watching the detective from the other side of the two-way mirror. He sat uncomfortably in the interrogation room, shirt still wet and unbuttoned. 

Neither agent had wanted to draw any unnecessary attention to themselves as they ushered Percy through the precinct. They didn’t need the entire NYPD up in arms as their lead detective was led away but it was only a matter of time before someone realized that Percy was not the interrogator but the interrogatee.

Hotch had already gone to break the news to both Jackson’s captain as well as the police commissioner. Apparently, the two had a history that was going to make it hard to keep Jackson in custody for long without officially charging him.

Reid didn’t think Percy was their unsub. He remembered how emotional the other man had been at Austin Moore’s crime scene. And Travis Stoll had trusted the detective enough to go directly to him with the news of his brother's abduction.

But Jackson had lied about the camp, so who knows what else he had lied about. At this point, they couldn't trust him at all.

Reid’s thoughts were broken as Hotch re-entered the interrogation room, this time followed by the Commissioner. The older man was fuming, clearly unhappy about how the situation had been handled. 

Aaron nodded to his team, giving them permission to enter the room holding the detective. 

JJ and Reid looked at each other, stealing themselves. The two youngest had been chosen because they were the closest in age to their new suspect. They had already begun to make an emotional connection with the officer at Austin Moore’s crime scene, so hopefully, it would help during the interview. JJ also looked somewhat like the detective’s fiance, Annabeth Chase. This coincidence might subconsciously help Percy feel more comfortable in her presence and therefore reveal more information.

“Let’s get this over with.” The commissioner grumbled, spurring the two agents into action.

Reid opened the door, stepping back to let JJ enter first.

“Jennifer, Reid.” The detective greeted as they sat down. “Did they send you guys because we're close to the same age? Or was it because you’ve read my file and know that I often ‘reject authority.’”

“Percy…” JJ raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

“Sorry, sorry.” Jackson looked chastised as he dropped the façade. “I know. I’m deflecting. What do you want to know?”

“You’ll just… tell us?” Reid was not convinced.

“I know you guys don’t trust me right now but I can explain. I’ll tell you everything I can.”

“Everything you _can_?” JJ emphasized. “Who is telling you what you can and can’t say?”

Percy just smiled. “You wouldn’t believe it even if I told you.”

Reid frowned. Why wouldn’t they believe it? At this point, the BAU had seen so much, Reid doubted he’d ever been surprised again. And he didn’t like how the other man seemed so smug, avoiding every question easily. There was clearly something he had to hide. They just needed to figure out what it was.

“What? Are you part of some kinda cult?”

“No, not a cult.” He paused, considering. “Well, I guess that depends on your definition of a cult.”

“A cult,” Reid wasn’t as amused as the detective. “Is a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.”

Percy laughed loudly at that. “I guess I might be in a cult then. Huh.” He shook his head. “Never thought about it like that.”

“How about we stop messing around and you tell us everything.” Reid stared in the detective's eyes, unblinking. “Or are you forgetting that your friend has been kidnapped by a sadistic serial killer. While you’re sitting here joking around with us… he is being tortured.”

“Spence.” JJ looked at him eyes wide, surprised at his outburst.

“No, he’s right.” Percy looked down at his lap, leg bouncing furiously. “Tell me everything you know about the camp and I’ll fill in anything your missing. I promise.”

“And why should we believe anything you say?” Reid challenged.

“You shouldn’t.” The detective met their gaze. “But everything you said was true. One of my oldest friends is being tortured right now and I’m willing to do anything to save him.”

“Okay.” JJ opened her folder that held all the information they'd gathered on the mysterious summer camp. “We know that each of the victims attended the camp, each for a different amount of years.”

“That’s what the necklace beads represent,” Percy confirmed their theory. “Campers get a new bead each year.”

“What do the designs mean?” Reid was curious.

“Nothing really. The head counselors of each cabin vote on their favorite design at the end of the summer and whichever wins is then painted onto the beads.”

Reid wasn’t sure if he believed the other man. The designs seemed too specific to be random, but it didn’t really matter.

“The second victim, Ryan Morriston? His mother said that he was homeschooled, but he wasn’t, was he.”

“No. He wasn’t.” Percy leaned back in the chair, balancing on only two legs. “The camp offers high quality, year-round educational programs. Some parents choose to send their kids for a full year instead of just the summer. The head of our camp, Mr. Brunner, is a very qualified teacher, he provides adequate schooling to any full-timers.”

Mr. Brunner. Reid remembered that name. Garcia had pulled Ryan Morriston’s jail records and found that this... _supposed_ Camp Director had bailed him out.

Reid couldn’t help but think that kids ending up in jail did not qualify as a ‘high quality educational program.’

“So why lie to us?” The genius leaned forward onto the table. “Why were all the parents so reluctant to tell us about camp? And why couldn't Garcia find any records of it?”

“There are no records of it because it isn't supposed to exist.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means— that powerful people don’t want the camp noticed. Don’t want it to be public knowledge.”

Reid was immediately intrigued. “Powerful people? Who?”

“We don't’ know for sure.” Percy ran a hand through his hair, trying to find the right words. “I’m assuming you noticed that each of the victims came from either a single family household or had a step-parent.”

JJ nodded. “At the time, we didn’t think it was relevant to the investigation.”

“Well. It is.” The detective looked up at the ceiling briefly, as if praying. “This camp… you don’t just find it by yourself. You need to be referred to it. All the kids at camp, so each of the victims, their ‘unknown’ parent is actually just someone that doesn’t want to be identified.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Powerful people that don’t want others to know about their bastard children.”

“ _Bastard_ children?” Reid was confused. “Isn’t that a little old fashioned?”

Percy just shrugged. “It’s not my place to make that judgment. Politicians, CEO’s, for people like that, having children out of wed-lock could destroy their entire brand.”

“So all the kids at this camp are the children of conservative politicians and CEOs?” JJ didn’t sound convinced.

“That was just an example. I’m pretty sure there are children of criminals too. Drug dealers or mob bosses whose kids might be in danger. Sending them away could be the only way to protect them. It doesn't really matter as long as you have the money to pay.”

Reid and JJ exchanged a look.

“I said that you wouldn’t believe the truth.” Percy signed, noticing their disbelief. “That’s why Garcia couldn’t track the camp through a money trail. The parents you spoke to aren’t saying anything, it is the other spouse that covers the fees.”

“I still don’t get why nobody told us,” Reid said.

“Everyone involved has to sign an NDA, to maintain the privacy of the benefactors. The kids don’t even know who their other parent is.”

“That sounds sad.” JJ looked upset. “And lonely.”

Percy just shrugged. “It’s not like we had a choice. We live with the cards we’re dealt. Besides, that’s the point of camp. It gives us a sense of family and community, helps us build confidence, and increases our chances of success.”

“We? So you admit that you were a camper.”

“Yeah, I was a camper.” Percy rolled his eyes. “I kinda thought that was obvious by now.”

“Your father?” Reid pushed, wondering exactly how much the detective would disclose.

“Yes. My father. And no, I don’t know who he is. But even if I did, I wouldn't tell you.”

“Fair enough.”

“So am I free to go now?” Percy began to stand.

“Slow down.” Reid held up a hand. “You still willing kept information during this investigation.”

He didn't want this to be over. The detective should still be punished for withholding information.

“The NDA’s remember?” 

“Legally, you can break an NDA to report a crime or aid in a police investigation.”

“Only if the information is relevant,” Percy argued. 

“You don’t think this is relevant. It explains the connection between the victims, how they are being targeted—”

“After everything I’ve told, are we any closer to finding Connor? To catching the unsub?” At the agent's silence, Percy continued. “I’m protecting myself, my mother, and the families of the victims from losing everything. These people have powerful legal teams that will take everything if you speak out of turn. I didn’t want them to lose any more. Is that really a crime?”

The detective stood up and walked out of the interrogation room before Reid could respond.

He wasn’t necessarily wrong, the information protected in the NDA wouldn't help them find Connor Stoll, wouldn't have helped them rescue Austin Moore but it was still helpful to see the full picture. 

Was the unsub torturing these kids to find out who their parents were? That part still didn’t make sense. The unsub’s motivation… If Percy, an adult, didn’t know who his father was, why would the unsub expect these kids to?

Although the story did make sense, Reid couldn't help but think Jackson was still holding something back. There were a lot of people born from random hook-ups or affairs. Celebrities and other influential people had ‘bastard’ children all the time. Sometimes they were thrust into fame unwillingly, while other times they brought themselves to the spotlight by demanding money or attention. Either way, those kids all lived relatively normal lives. 

What made Percy and these other kids so special that they got their own camp?

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I hope y'all enjoyed this one. And for everyone guessing the unsub's identity in the comments of the last chapter... lol I will neither confirm nor deny your theories. **wink, wink**
> 
> Again, I tragically have no life, so the next chapter should be up in the next few days. Once I finish them, I get to impatient and don't wanna wait to post. Also just want to say that I love reading all your comments, even if I don't respond— they make my day.


	12. Another Victim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy deals with the aftermath of his interrogation and hears about a possible new victim.

Percy POV

Percy left the interrogation room quickly, eager to escape before the agents could think of any more probing questions. He was glad he had discussed the details of their cover story with Annabeth last night before bed. 

After coming home from camp, Percy was exhausted. His finance had forced him to rehearse what he’d say if questioned over and over again. Thank the gods for her insistence. He wasn’t sure if he had answered each question believably but he couldn't imagine the disaster that would've occurred if he hadn’t been prepared. He could tell Reid was still doubtful, still didn’t completely trust him.

But honestly, if he was the BAU, he didn’t think he’d trust himself either.

Percy pulled out his phone, clicking on Annabeth's name. There were only a few messages between the couple, both used to life without technology.

_ well, last nights practice was good cause I just got interrogated by the FBI _

_ lol oops _

_ all good tho _

_ i think they believed me _

He hesitated, waiting to put the phone away. He found it hard to text, the bright screen and small characters did not help his dyslexia. He knew he typed slower than most but it wasn’t his fault the gods had cursed him with illiteracy.

_ thanks WiseGirl _

_ love ya _

He didn’t bother waiting for a reply. He knew she was at work and unlikely to answer until later.

“Jackson!” Percy turned as Hernandez called his name. “Some of the guys were just saying that you got arrested? What the hell man.”

“Nah. Just a misunderstanding.”

“So you’re good?”

“What, were you worried about me Henrdnadez? I always knew you cared.”

“Ha ha ha. I’m just addicted to disrespecting my senior officers.” The other man looked relieved. “If you were gone, who’d I harass? Captain? No fucking way dude.”

“One day,” Percy threatened. “I’m gonna write you up.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Watch me.”

“What’s up with your shirt anyway?”

“Huh?” Percy looked down at himself, momentarily forgetting that his uniform was completely unbuttoned, still stained with coffee. “Oh, I spilled on myself.”

“Clearly. You should probably change.”

The demigod rolled his eyes. “That’s where I was going before you got in the way.”

Hernandez held up his hands in surrender, dramatically backing away to clear a path for the detective. Percy casually flipped him off, making his way to the office where he kept a spare change of clothes. In theory, he could have easily dried himself, but he didn’t want the agents to be any more suspicious than they already were.

\--

It was sometime before noon, he was reviewing traffic footage with Morgan and Reid when three kids shuffled into the station.

The policeman leading immediately found the agents and started towards them, kids trailing awkwardly behind him.

“These kids are looking for the ones in charge of the Pied Piper case.” The officer said.

“First of all, we're not calling him that,” Morgan responded. “Secondly, you just brought them here without knowing why?”

The inexperienced man shrugged helplessly. “They were very insistent?”

“Dude.” Percy groaned. “Seriously? Go back to your post.”

“Yes sir.”

As the officer left, Percy’s attention was brought back to the young teens in front of him. He frowned. They looked familiar.

“Holy Hera.” The shorter boy cursed, staring at the detective in awe. “You’re Percy Jackson.”

Di Immortals. They were demigods. Wasn’t camp supposed to be on lockdown? Nobody in or out?

“Yeah.” He rubbed his head awkwardly. “And you are?”

“Shane. You’re like my hero. When you—”

The girl elbowed him in the side aggressively, cutting off the stream of potentially incriminating words. “I’m Lacy White. This is Sam.”

“Sam,” Percy repeated, trying to figure out why he knew the name. “Are you… one of Grover’s  _ friends _ ?

The teen looked slightly confused for a moment before smiling. “Yep.”

So a satyr. Why was a satyr accompanying two demigods to an NYPD precinct? He was glad the other man, who was probably a lot older than he looked, had understood the reference. Percy would have to get his information subtly, to keep the agents out of the loop.

“Lacy.” He turned towards the young girl. “You… know  _ Piper _ . Right?”

She nodded. “And Shane likes to hang out with Leo sometimes.”

“What? No I don’t.” Lacy elbowed her friend again. “Oh. Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Umm. Hello? What’s going on?” Morgan spoke up, reminding Percy of their federal presence.

“Oh, nothing.” Reid looked at him pointedly. Percy relented. “They just go to camp.”

“And what are you guys doing here?” Morgan asked. “There  _ is  _ a serial killer on the loose.”

The two boys turned towards Lacy, obviously their de facto leader, for an answer. “We think our friend has been taken.”

Percy looked at the agents, seeing the same concern in their eyes. They should probably take this conversation into another room. The small group was already attracting unnecessary attention.

“Follow me.” The older demigod began to walk towards his favorite interview room, not looking back to see if anyone listened.

As soon as the door closed behind them, he spoke again. “Tell us everything.”

“Our friend Frannie.”

“Francesca Roberts.” Shane interrupted seriously.

Lacy glared at him. “Yeah. Her full name is Francesca but she prefers Frannie.”

“Let’s keep the story moving.” Percy waved them on impatiently.

“Frannie was supposed to get to camp yesterday. Her mom was worried and thought she’d be safer at camp than in the city.”

“Did she know about that vans?”

Lacy shook her head. “What about the vans?”

“Detective?” Reid looked equally confused. “What more do you know about the van?”

“I forgot to mention this earlier.” He addressed the agents. “The unsub is driving a camp van. I think that is how he is abducting the kids so easily. ‘Delphi Strawberry Services’ is a camp run company that helps us pay various expenses.”

“Oh nooo,” Sam let out a loud bleat, chewing nervously on his nails. “Just what I feared, she’s been kidnapped. I’m such a bad protector. Maron and Silenus were right.”

Lacy pat his back gently. “It’s not your fault Sam. The council is just a bunch of old saty— men. They don’t know anything. You’re a great protector.”

Shane nodded in agreement. “You got us here safely, didn’t you?”

Sam sniffed, composing himself. 

“So the van,” Reid began warily, not wanting to upset the emotional teen. “Belongs to camp? Does that mean the unsub is one of the camp staff?”

Percy shook his head. “No way.”

“How are you sure?”

“I just am. You’re just going to have to trust me on this.”

Reid and Morgan exchanged a look, tired of the secrets. Percy was worried they were going to call him out, but they didn’t. The son of Poseidon could tell they still didn’t trust him, didn’t believe half of what he was saying but it wasn't like he could tell them the truth. None of the camp staff were mortal. Half were peaceful nature spirits that had no motive to torture or kill demigods they saw as friends. The other half was bound to camp as punishment and couldn't cross the boundaries.

“So what can we do to help?” Lacy asked.

“Nothing,” Percy spoke in unison with the two agents, all in agreement.

“What do you mean nothing?” Shane stood up. “Our friend is missing and you just want us to sit here?”

“Yes,” Morgan responded. “There’s nothing you  _ can  _ do.”

“We could be out on the street. Knocking heads and taking names.” Shane quoted, trying to sound menacing. He pointed accusingly at Percy. “I know you wouldn’t have sat here at my age if one of your friends had been kidnapped.”

The detective couldn’t argue with that. If Annabeth or Grover had ever gone missing, he would've done exactly what Shane had suggested. He would tear the city apart, without a second thought, to find his friends. Actually, that's exactly what he _had_ done when his finance had been kidnapped by the manticore for Atlas and his army.

But this was different, he didn’t need them to be captured too. “I don’t want you to just sit  _ here _ . I want you to go back to camp. You’re safe there.”

“Bu—”

Percy held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it. You shouldn’t even be here. How did you get to the city?”

“We took a cab.” Lacy shuffled her feet. “The Gray Sister’s service. Chir—”

“Mr. Brunner.” Percy corrected, looking quickly at the two agents. Trying to gauge if they had caught her slip up.

“Right. Mr. Brunner. He gave us money.”

The son of Poseidon was unimpressed. “I talked to him yesterday. I know camp is on a hard lockdown.”

The three at least had the decency to look ashamed. Of course, they snuck past the borders without permission. The centaur had promised to keep everyone inside until the serial killer was caught.

“I’m assuming you have enough to get back.” At their silence, he sighed. “I’ll pay. Don’t worry.”

They all stood, following Percy’s lead. The two agents hung back as the detective ushered Lacy, Sam, and Shane to the exit. 

As he walked out the door, the son of Hephaestus turned to look back at Percy. “You’re so much cooler in the songs.”

The son of Poseidon tried not to smile. He knew the other demigod meant it as an insult but was too young to realize that it was just the truth. The Hero of Olympus wasn’t offended. Of course, he didn’t live up to the tales woven by Apollo's children, nobody could be that perfect. Eventually, Shane would realize that all his heroes were disappointments, that none truly embodied the character presented in myths. He prayed the son of Hephestus never met Hercules.

As soon as the three left, he turned back to the agents. Both were watching him carefully, cataloging every move he made, every word he spoke. Percy thought back to the conversation, hoping he hadn’t revealed anything important.

“So, I have to ask.” Morgan looked intrigued. “What songs are being sung about you at camp? That kid was in love with you.”

Percy forced himself to laugh, using that time to think of an excuse. “I uh… I used to orchestrate these elaborate pranks. I guess the stories have just grown over the years, become more and more exaggerated. You know how kids are.”

“You’ll have to tell me about them one day.” Morgan clapped a heavy hand onto the demigod’s shoulder, leading the party back towards the conference room where the rest of the BAU was gathered.

“Maybe.” Percy was never mentioning this again.

Hotch immediately recognized the look on their faces as the three entered the room. “Another one?”

Reid nodded. “Francesca— or Frannie Roberts.”

“Her parents didn’t report her missing because they thought she had gone to camp,” Percy explained. “They sent her off, hoping it would keep her safe, but she must’ve been taken somewhere along the way.”

“Two victims at once?” Prentiss spoke from the back of the room. “That’s an escalation.”

“It’ll be harder for him to control two people,” Hotch said. “Especially if one of them is an adult. Connor is strong, athletic and at the peak of his physicality, he will not be easy to keep subdued.”

“If he’s torturing his victims for days, he has to keep them somewhat hydrated.” Morgan paced bath and forth. “We should assume that although they are definitely bound, his victims are not immobilized.”

How would that even work? The son of Poseidon tried not to imagine how scared Austin Moore and the other victims had been. Stuck, alone, with a sadistic killer, for days.

“He’s getting more confident.” Rossi scribbled something onto his notepad. “If he is successful with these two victims, then it’s likely he will continue to take bigger and bigger risks. Our unsub’s body count is about to skyrocket.”

“This could actually be to our advantage.” 

Percy looked at the young genius, not sure how more bodies could possibly be a good thing. 

As if sensing his disbelief, Reid elaborated. “He’s getting cocky. The more risks our unsub takes, the more likely he is to make a mistake.”

“And when he does… we’ll be waiting.” Rossi finished.

“Exactly.”

Percy could only hope that whatever mistake their unsub was going to make, happened soon. He couldn’t bear thinking about Connor, couldn't imagine the pain Travis was in as his brother was being tortured. But there was nothing to do but wait. Sitting here helplessly, was by far the worst part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooow, a whole day passed without me posting? Who even am I? Lol anywayss, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Again the next one will probably be up tomorrow night, but possibly later? We'll see...
> 
> I wasn't sure exactly how to format the text messages between Percy and Annabeth. I think the indent and italics make it clear... but Idk. Let me know if there's a better way to format and I'll change it. Also want to make sure that if I ever do it again, it makes sense. Feel free to give some feedback - I promise I won't be offended.
> 
> Now to all those who have already experience the new year: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  
> And to those of us still waiting: HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!!


	13. Connor & Frannie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another POV from Connor as the unsub continues to torture him for information.

Connor POV

Connor raised his head weakly as the abductor came back. He didn’t think he could take another beating. He just wanted it to end. It was an endless cycle of torture, questions he refused to answer, more torture, and more questions. He was barely allowed to sleep and his captor gave him only enough food to remain lucid. 

But today something was different. Instead of coming straight at Connor confidently, the man was hesitating, shuffling awkwardly across the floor. As the demigod looked closer, he realized the man wasn’t alone. Thrown over his shoulder was a young girl, unconscious. 

Her hair had fallen out of its tie, plastered to her face, preventing him from identifying her. Another poor demigod captured by this psycho.

“So what? I’m getting too boring.” Connor rasped. “Had to get yourself a new toy?”

The man ignored the weak provocation, instead, focusing on securing his newest victim. He bound the poor girl's hands tightly, using the same technique that was keeping Connor trapped. He propped her up on the wall, hair still obscuring her face, and secured the tied hands to a radiator.

The man obviously hadn’t prepared to keep two people at once. Connor’s restraints were bolted in the stone wall. Despite how hard he tried, they were unmovable. This girl was tied to a radiator. The building was old, the heater was likely weaker than it looked. Maybe they’d be able to use that to their advantage, escape while their abductor was away.

“You don’t have any more questions for me?” Connor taunted again. “I’ve been waiting for you all day.”

The man continued to ignore him, walking out the door as abruptly as he entered.

It’s not like his abductor gave him a rundown of their entire schedule, but it was unusual for the other man to be so quiet. The son of Hermes was uneasy. Nothing good could come from such a drastic change in routine.

“Hey.” Connor whisper yelled at his new roommate. “Wake up.” He tried to reach out and nudge her leg, but was just short. “Hey! Before he comes back.”

She groaned in response. Connor smiled. He was honestly glad another demigod had been captured. Sitting alone in this messy basement was getting old. He was lonely. The intrusive thought lasted barely a minute before he felt immediately guilty. Whoever she was, this poor girl did not deserve to be stuck here with him.

The girl shifted awkwardly, movements hindered by her bound hands.  Connor watched her blink furiously, trying to make sense of her surroundings.

The son of Hermes saw the exact moment she realized what had happened, where she was... or wasn't. She jerked, trying to stand up, only to be stopped by the ropes.

He winced as she cried out, half in surprise and half in pain.

“Hey, hey, calm down.” He called out, trying to comfort her from across the room. “Take a deep breath.”

“Connor?”

He recognized that voice. “Frannie? Is that you?”

“What’s going on? Connor, I’m scared.”

Hades. Not only had he gotten himself captured by a serial killer, now his little sister was here too.

“I know Fran. But it’s okay. We’re gonna be fine.”

“I— I don’t remember what happened.” She looked up at him, half-heartedly brushing the hair away from her eyes.

Now that her face was uncovered, Connor was able to clearly see the younger demigod. Her clothes were already dirty, probably from the back of the van. There was a little cut above one eye, but it wasn’t deep enough to cause any lasting damage.

“I’m assuming you got in the van?”

“Yeah. I thought Chiron sent someone to pick me up.”

Connor shook his head. “He doesn't work for camp. He’s— I’ll fill you in later. But he must’ve stolen the vehicle from camp.”

“Gods. I’m so stupid.” Frannie let her head fall back onto the wall.

“Don’t blame yourself kid. He got me the same way.”

“He did?” His sister sounded relieved.

“Unfortunately.” Connor coughed, tasted copper, felt his lips moisten with blood.

Connor could feel his sister’s worried eyes but his hands were still fastened above him. He couldn't wipe his mouth or hide the evidence of his suffering.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” He tried to smile, but if her face was any indication, it came across as more of a grimace. “Try your hands. See if the radiator will hold. This house is old. You might be able to pull it out of the wall.”

She shifted, re-adjusting to get more leverage. The radiator creaked and groaned as Frannie pulled, but the old machine held fast.

“Hades!” She cursed. “It’s stuck.”

“It’s okay. Hey.” Frannie continued to yank desperately, with no luck. “Frannie stop.” She let go, wrists already rubbed raw from the coarse rope. “Save your strength. It’s not worth it.”

She opened her mouth to say something when the door banged open for the second time. The two demigods fell silent.

“What wrong?” Their abductor asked. “The party ends when I arrive?”

“Fuck you.” Connor hissed.

“What? I heard you talking on the way down here. I’m glad your making friends.”

Connor said nothing, didn’t want the man to know that Frannie was his sister. That he’d do anything to keep her safe.

“So what your name?” He turned his attention to the daughter of Hermes.

She didn’t answer. Just stared at him in silent defiance. Connor couldn't help but smile, admiring her young courage.

“Well.” He flipped out a knife. “Then, I guess we’ll have to deal with you the hard way too.”

All bravado dropped from his sister's face as she realized exactly what that statement meant. She had yet to face the reality of being a demigod. Frannie was still young and in this post-war world, she had yet to kill any monsters, yet to be sent on any quests. The only violence she saw was under the direct supervision of Chiron.

“Connor?” She cried out as the torture began.

Blood welling in cuts across her small arms.

“It’s okay Fran. Just tell him.” Connor didn’t want her to suffer. She didn’t deserve this.

“Yes,  _ Fran _ .” The man mocked. “Just talk to me, darling. What’s your name? Whose your parent? I only want the basics.”

She sniffled. “My name’s Francesca. Frannie. And my father is Hermes.”

“Hermes?” He let out a triumphant whoop. “Just my luck. You two are siblings?”

Connor nodded reluctantly. What else was he supposed to do?

“What do you know about the war?”

Frannie just stared at him in fear. “Which one?”

“Which one?” He looked surprised. “Hmmm… I didn’t know there was more than one.” He turned dramatically to Connor. “Which war am I talking about?”

“The Titan War.”

“Yes. The Titan War. Tell me all about it.”

“I don’t—” Tears began to form, expecting to be punished for her lack of knowledge. “I don’t know anything.”

The man raised his knife again, looking disappointed. “I don’t like to be lied to.”

The son of Hermes struggled against his chains again, fighting to escape harder than ever before. “Leave her alone!”

The man stopped to listen.

“She doesn't know anything.” He pleaded desperately. “Just let her go, 

“I only know the stories.” Frannie clarified, already crying again. “The songs.”

“That’s okay my dear.” He ruffled her hair. “Because Connor knows  _ all _ about them. And if he cares for you, at all, he'll talk.”

The man stepped back from his victim, standing equidistant from both children of Hermes. 

“So this is how it’s gonna go.” He pointed his knife at Connor to make sure he was listening. “You’re going to tell me what I want to know. Or… I’m going to hurt your precious sister.”

“NO!” Connor yelled unthinking, lurching towards the older man as if he could reach him while still chained to the wall.

“Ah ah ah.” He shook his head in disappointment. “None of that now. Or…”

He leaned towards Frannie, striking her in the face without a second thought. She yelped, stunned, not expecting the open-handed blow.

Connor snarled.

“Where’s my son?”

“I already told you. He’s dead.”

“I don’t believe you.” The man hit Frannie again.

“It’s the truth.” Connor pulled desperately at his wrists, ignoring the pain. “I wouldn’t lie about this. Not with my sister.”

“Then where is his body. I want to see proof.”

Connor shook his head. “That’s not the Greek way. His body was burned.”

The man looked furious. “Then who killed him. I deserve revenge.”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s not good enough.” He turned back towards Frannie, knife at the ready. 

She let out an involuntary sob, absolutely terrified of the man before her.

“Okay. Okay.” He relented before any punishment could be enacted. “I don’t know who killed him… But I  _ do  _ know the last person to see him alive.”

“Who?”

Connor prayed to the other demigod for forgiveness. “Percy Jackson.”

Frannie gasped, no doubt recognizing his name from the stories. She was surprised to hear it in such a context. The only thing Apollo’s songs discussed was the other demigod's heroic deeds and selfless bravery. They ignored to brutal aspects of war, pretended as if hundred of traitorous, but still mortal, demigods hadn’t been killed during the Titan war in addition to the monsters.

Their victory hadn’t been as glorious as newer demigods believed. They had fought — no,  killed countless brothers and sisters. Kids they had grown up with. It wasn’t as black and white as the gods made it seem.

“That name sounds familiar.”

“I’m sure your son mentioned him,” Connor explained. “He was the most powerful demigod in camp the second he arrived. People didn’t stop talking about him for years… people still haven't stopped talking about him.”

The son of Hermes only hesitated for a second, imagined his sister suffering, then steeled himself to continue. “He’s the lead detective on this case. Just turn yourself in and you’ll be able to talk to him.”

Connor knew his friend could take care of himself. And the son of Posdeion would rather give himself up than have an innocent demigod suffer in his place. He hoped he’d survive long enough to explain his actions to the other demigod.

“Is that some kind of joke?”

“No. No.” Connor said quickly. “You can google it if you don’t believe me. He grew up here, in New York, wanted to make the streets safer. Percy uses his skills as a demigod to help catch criminals.”

The man narrowed his eyes, as if he wasn’t sure he could believe his victim.

“It’s the truth. I promise.”

“Be quiet.” He paced back and forth. “I’m thinking.”

“Let us go and I can arrange a meeting.”

“I said be quiet.” The man whirled on him, brandishing the knife.

“Please.” He tried again. “Just let Frannie go. Keep me here as bait.” 

Connor didn’t even realize how close the other man was until a fist connected with his chin. His head slammed back onto the unforgiving stone, immediately knocking him unconscious.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, it's officially the new year and COIVD still exists... so 2021 isn't really off to a good start. I hope you all had fun despite the virus and were able to celebrate (safely).
> 
> Anyway... here's another chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it. Sorry she's a little short. The next one will probably be up in the next couple days again. I'm super motivated right now and want to finish this before going back to school so I'm trying to keep up the fast-paced updates without losing quality. Lol hopefully I'm succeeding??


	14. The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The BAU receives a tip that might lead them to their unsub.

Reid POV

Only a couple of hours after the campers left, a call came in.

Detective Jackson rushed into the conference room, unable to hide his excitement. “The unsub’s van was just spotted in Harlem.”

“Really?” Prentiss stood up eagerly.

“We have an officer monitoring the building, ready to follow the van if it leaves.”

Hotch stood, joining his female agent. “Let’s go. We don’t want to waste any time, give him room to escape.”

The entire team nodded, walking towards the equipment room, ready to get their vests on and leave as soon as possible. The entire precinct was bustling with activity. A startling difference to the uneasy calm that had befallen the station once news of Connor’s abduction reached the public.

The media, as well as government officials, had begun to speak out. Condemning both the BAU and the NYPD for their inability to capture the unsub. The entire city was uneasy, unsure if their children were in danger and the governor needed someone to take the blame. Unfortunately, that meant every law enforcement officer was caught in the crossfire as their politicians attempted to save their own skin.

“What the fuck?” Morgan’s furious voice surprised him.

He stopped fastening the velcro straps to look at the bigger man. Derek was staring at one of the news feeds, displayed prominently in the technologically heavy station.

Reid turned to the screen, unsure what to look for. The new’s anchor looked unemotional as she talked about the case. ‘Pied Piper’ was plastered across the screen as she spoke, but the volume was too low for him to understand her words.

“Hey!” The other agent pointed at the screen. “Someone turn that up.”

A young officer rushed to obey, eager to placate the FBI.

“We just got word that the police have a lead on The Pied Piper.” Her voice echoed around the room, stopped everyone in their tracks. “They will be conducting a raid on the serial killers’ location within the hour.”

“Oh no…” JJ said, unbelieving.

“We aren’t sure where that is.” The news lady continued. “But the moment we have more information, you will know. ABC is the news of the people, we want the public informed on this case even if the police don’t.”

Reid couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did they have any idea what they had just done? They had just warned a serial killer that police were about to descend on his hide out. If their unsub was at all competent, he would run. Either kill the hostages or take them with him to another secondary location. 

News stations were too focused on ratings to pay attention to the effect their actions would have on anyone else. Sure, ABC had exclusive access to this information, they would now be the go-to source for anything related to the investigation, but they had just condemned two innocents to death.

He could only hope their unsub wasn’t watching the news. 

“Who leaked this to the press?” Morgan had turned his anger towards the officers in the room. “Who was stupid enough to give this information up. We’ve just lost the only advantage we’ve had since the beginning of this case.”

Hotch grabbed the seething agent’s arm, pushing a vest into his hand. “It’s too late now. We need to move before we lose this window.”

Reid couldn’t help but think that window had already closed. 

The two teams, one of seasoned FBI agents and the other a mixture of experience NYPD officers, rushed towards the door, to where their cars were waiting. 

Before leaving the station, Jackson turned to address the officers all eyeing each other suspiciously, trying to see who was to blame for the leak.

“To whoever is responsible for this, we will find you. I’ll look through all the phone records myself if I have to. You will be fired, no questions asked, for misconduct with no benefits.” As the uncomfortable silence grew, the detective continued. “Just know, whoever you are… that you are directly responsible for these victims. If they die because of this, it’s on you.”

** \-- **

The teams raced through the streets way slower than Ried would have liked, but it was impossible to go any faster in a city as dense as New York.

They pulled up to the abandoned warehouse, practically jumping out of the cars before they had stopped moving. 

Already, there was a growing police presence outside the building, but everyone was waiting for the BAU to arrive. They had the building surrounded, nobody would escape, but the officers didn’t want to risk escalating a situation they didn’t understand by attempting any type of rescue without the feds.

Reid barely noticed the ‘Strawberry Services’ van, already being analyzed by crime scene investigators and other NYPD techs. He was instead completely focused on the building in front of him, running through various scenarios and thinking of ways to pacify the unsub without risking either victims' lives. 

That is, if Connor and Frannie were still alive.

“Look, detective.” Hotch grabbed the man's arm before he could rush in. “Let us lead on this. We know how to handle serial killers. We want to maintain as much control over the situation as possible. You’re too close to this.”

The other man didn’t look completely convinced, but he was obviously more worried about his friend inside to argue with their unit chief. Reid watched him fidget with the velcro on his bulletproof vest, he was impatient, eager to make entry.

The agents on the other hand were more composed. They understood how quickly this could go south. If the man hadn’t completed his perceived mission, which was unlikely, then he wouldn’t just surrender himself into police custody. Their unsub was a bomb waiting to explode.

Hotch made eye contact with each of his team members, checking to see if everyone was on the same page, before nodding.

Reid entered the abandoned building after Morgan. In one hand was his flashlight, the other his weapon. The young agent scanned each corner carefully, looking for any signs of life. 

Nothing.

The first floor was completely empty. Debris covered the ground, hindering their ability to make a silent entry. Broken glass crunched under his shoes with each step, echoing across the wide-open room. If their unsub hadn’t heard the cars or sirens outside, he definitely heard them wading through the trash. 

Reid tapped Derek’s shoulder, pointing towards a basement door as the other man looked back. They both nodded.

“Basement door, southwest corner,” Reid whispered into his mic.

“First floor is clear,” Hotch responded. “All units move towards the cellar.”

They didn't wait for the rest of the team, already following the order. Reid could feel Detective Jackson following behind him. 

He wasn’t surprised the other man hadn't waited outside. If any of his team had been captured, he wouldn’t have either.

The small group pushed forwards, breaching the door without resistance. As they began to walk down the steps, Reid heard something.

He reached out, squeezing Morgan to prevent him from taking another step. Jackson stopped behind him, listening for the same noise. 

They all held their breath, frozen in place.

“Help! Someone help!” It was yelled into the dark desperately. “Please.”

Now that they weren’t moving, the voice was clearer. A young girl. Probably Francesca Roberts, whose friends had talked to them a couple of days ago.

“Fran—”

“Shut up.” Morgan hissed before Percy could finish. “We can’t let the unsub know how close were are. We’ve already lost the element of surprise.”

Jackson let out an angry breath but listened, held himself together as they finished descending the old stairwell.

“Please.” Frannie’s weak voice guided them to a room at the end of the hall. 

Each of the other doors were padlocked shut, so it was safe to assume the unsub wasn't hiding anywhere inside. He was either in the room with Frannie or not in the building at all. Reid guessed it was the latter. He didn’t have time to take the young girl with him as he ran and was forced to leave her.

But why was she still alive? What could he gain from leaving a witness that could possibly help identify him?

And Connor... Reid could only assume the worst.

Morgan stopped outside the doorway, waiting for Reid and Jackson to stack up behind him. Frannie’s soft sobs could be heard just inside the door, but the genius forced himself to ignore her until they cleared the room.

He squeezed his partner's shoulder, letting the other man know that he was ready. 

Morgan held up his hand, one, two, three— go.

They pushed inside violently, hoping to startle anyone inside. It worked. Frannie screamed as she saw their guns, unsure if they were here to help her or finish the job.

It took a minute, but she eventually calmed enough to read the boldly printed ‘FBI’ lettering on both sides of their vests. She slumped in relief.

Reid looked around the rest of the room, momentarily ignoring the beaten teen tied to a radiator to search for either Connor or the unsub.

No unsub. He wasn’t surprised, but Connor…

The other victim laid unresponsive across the room, held up only by the arms tied over his head. Connor’s face was completely mutilated. Where his left eye should have been, was instead a gaping hole. Multiple stab wounds concentrated in the same small area had destroyed the delicate organ. 

Spencer tried to ignore the blood that dripped down his face, that staining his clothes red and pooled around his body on the floor, and instead looked for any signs of life. 

“CONNOR!” Percy ran past Reid and Morgan before either agent could stop him.

He fell to his knees beside the broken man, reaching desperately for his neck, trying to find a pulse. The detective's hands were shaking, all training seemed to have disappeared at the sight of his friend laying on the floor.

Morgan touched his ear. “Basement is clear. We found the two victims.”

“Status?” Hotch’s voice came crackling back through their earpieces.

“Francesca looks to be fine. Only a few minor injuries.” The tall man hesitated, looking from Reid to Jackson. “Connor is…”

Reid got the message. He squatted down next to the detective, pushing his hands away to look for a pulse himself.

There was none.

“Percy,” Reid spoke gently. “He’s gone.”

“No no no no no no.” The younger man repeated indiscriminately. “He’s— he can’t— he’s fine.”

Reid shook his head, trying to pull the detective to his feet. He could hear Morgan relaying the news to his team in the background.

Jackson ignored the attempt, reaching into his jacket to pull out a flask. “He just needs—”

“No.” Spencer pried the flask from his hands, unsure what was inside but knowing nothing would be able to save the already dead man.

But Percy refused to listen. The officer grabbed his friend’s shoulders to shake him awake, still in denial. “Wake up Connor. This isn’t funny anymore. You need to wake up. Travis is waiting for you.”

Reid sat back helplessly, didn’t know how to snap the other man out of his trance.

“Percy?” A small voice spoke hesitantly. 

The detective turned in unison with Reid, both surprised to hear her voice. Morgan stood next to Frannie, had just finished cutting through her bonds. Both wrists were red with blood, rubbed raw from when she tried to escape. Her dirty face was streaked with tears she hadn't tried to wipe away.

“Francesca right?” Reid asked.

She nodded but otherwise ignored his presence, looking only at the detective.

“Frannie…” Percy’s voice broke off as he looked at her, reality finally setting in. “I’m so sorry.”

The young girl pulled away from Morgan, running to Jackson.

She fell into her arms, sobbing. Whatever emotion that had previously overtaken the detective was replaced by a protective instinct. He wrapped his arms around her shaking body, eager to provide some form of comfort.

Reid was momentarily surprised. Usually, victims seem to imprint on whoever was directly responsible for their rescue. They seemed to trust that person most and see them as some sort of protector. In this case, that would be Morgan. Frannie  _ should  _ be staying by Derek’s side but instead, she went to Jackson.

Not everyone fits into a statistic but Reid couldn't help but wonder why all the campers seemed to look to the other man as some sort of hero or savior.

Percy sat back on his heels, gripping her face with two hands, his own eyes level with hers. 

“It’s okay. I got you.” He wiped away her tears with his thumb. 

“Connor said you come.” She hiccuped again. “But I wasn’t sure.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry we took so long.”

“Here.” Jackson reached out and took the mystery flask from Reid’s hands, instead offering it to the girl. “Drink this.”

She took it without hesitation, raising it to her lips.

“Wait.” Morgan protested. “You shouldn't drink that. Not without your parent's permission.”

The two ignored him. 

The agents watched in shock. Percy should know not to give a victim anything before paramedics arrived. Especially a child. What was even in that flask? As much as Reid wanted to believe it was just water, he knew that wasn’t true. He hoped it wasn’t alcohol.

Frannie’s face seemed to brighten as she drank. She looked stronger, more hydrated, better fed, less tried. But after only a few sips, Percy was taking it away.

The detective smiled gently at her as she groaned in objection. “You know you can’t drink that much.”

“I know.” She wiped her eyes again. “Thank you.”

They both stood up, Percy keeping one arm around the young girl. “I’ll take her up to the medics.”

“Wait.” She grabbed the detective's hand, halting his movements. “He uh— he wanted me to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“He said—” she sniffed. “He said that this was your fault. That this was justice, vengeance for what you did.”

“What I did?” Percy ran a hand through his hair nervously. “What did I do?”

“He said that you killed his son?”

Reid looked at Morgan, confused. Was this part of their unsub delusion, or had the detective actually killed someone. Could this whole case have been an act of revenge against Jackson?

“I think Connor knew him.” Frannie risked a glance at her brother, eyes tearing up at the sight of his body. "But he didn't get the chance to tell me before..."

“Hey. It’s okay. That was super helpful.” Ried stepped between her and the dead victim, blocking her line of sight. “You don’t have to do this now. We’ll send a sketch artist to meet you at the hospital, and when your ready, we’ll talk.”

Percy met his eyes, nodding in thanks, before scooping up the young teen and carrying her towards the door.

“Jackson is coming up with the victim.” Morgan radioed to Hotch as the pair paused. “Have the EMS ready. She should be taken to a hospital and checked out before we conduct the cognitive interview.”

Reid held his earpiece absently as their unit chief responded, agreeing.

“You’re good to go,” Reid told the detective. “They’re waiting for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... so I did that. To all those begging for Connor's life, sorry? My bad? I hate to say, but this was always the plan. Big big sad.
> 
> Lol I hope you all still enjoyed this chapter, like usually the next will probably be up in the next couple days. If anyone was curious why this update wasn't up yesterday— I found the new Netflix show Bridgerton... and it slaps. 10/10 would recommend binging the whole thing. It's not that long but it is very addicting.
> 
> Anyways... feel free to comment, I still live for your feedback. Makes my day.


	15. The Unsub

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy goes over the new information uncovered after rescuing Frannie.

Percy POV

Percy knew the agents would want to question Frannie as soon as possible but he didn’t want her to relive her experience before at least having someone look over her injuries.

He rode with the young demigod to the hospital. She hadn’t let go of his hand since leaving the crime scene. The son of Poseidon didn’t know why he was surprised that she trusted him but it warmed his heart to know that he could at least provide some comfort while they waited for her family to arrive.

Percy had seen a lot during his demigod years, but it was nothing like this. He couldn’t image how scared Frannie had been, watching her brother die, unsure if she would be next or if someone was coming to save her.

He would never be able to completely understand her pain.

Tartarus had been brutal, the worst torture anyone could possibly experience, but he hadn’t been alone. He had Annabeth, he had Bob, deep down he’d known that they’d make it. Frannie didn't have that. All she had was her fear.

He thought back to what she had said. Why the unsub had killed Connor. Justice? Vengeance? What had he done?

If the unsub was a monster, Percy would understand. He had killed many sons and many daughters but none had been human. Even during the Titan War, he couldn't remember personally killing any of the traitorous demigods. He had definitely wounded some, but killed? No.

Whose father was this?

A small hand tugged his jacket, breaking his concentration. “Percy?” She looked up at him with big eyes. “Can I have some more… you know?”

The older demigod eyed the paramedics nervously. They were pretending to ignore the conversation but Percy knew that in such a small space, they heard everything. He couldn’t sneak her any more nectar or ambrosia without people noticing. It had already been risky back at the crime scene, but Percy hadn't exactly been thinking clearly.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I can’t Fran. These medics would be too suspicious. I know it sucks but your strong, you’ll be okay without it.”

The medics looked at him weirdly, wondering why he felt the need for secrecy. 

“You have my word.” The demigod sat up, speaking deliberately loud. “Next time I see you, I’ll bring some more chocolate.”

Frannie smiled slightly, happy to be apart of his little conspiracy, and nodded. “Thanks, detective.”

Her innocent gratefulness was contagious. The EMTs smiled as well, probably thinking the victim's relationship with her rescuer was adorable. 

Percy raised his fist, giving Frannie a subtle fist bump. Mission accomplished. The medics were no longer suspicious, would have nothing out of the ordinary to put in their reports.

\--

Percy drove back to the precinct slowly, taking the longest route possible. He wanted to give himself time to process the last few hours. 

One of his oldest friends was dead. Connor was gone.

He couldn’t save the son of Hermes. Just like he couldn't save Austin Moore, or any of the other victims.

The demigod took a deep breath, collecting himself as he arrived back at work. Their unsub was still out there, he was still a danger to society and the Greek world as a whole. Percy wouldn’t— couldn't let him get away with this. He had to get back to the BAU, help them close this case for good.

He could see the agents gathered in their conference room, already moving forward with new leads to follow. They had set their emotions aside to successfully do their job and Percy would do the same. He took a deep breath, collecting himself before entering.

The room grew quiet as he stepped inside, all eyes on the demigod. 

“Are you sure—”

“I’m fine.” The detective cut of JJ before she could finish. He appreciated her concern, he really did, but there was no chance he wouldn't be apart of the investigation. This was the most information, the biggest breakthrough they had since the first victim's abduction.

But it had come at a price. Percy wouldn’t let Connor die in vain.

“Well.” Prentiss was the first to recover. “We were just discussing the unsub’s sketch.”

“It’s already back?” Percy was surprised, didn't think he had been driving for that long.

He hadn't expected Frannie to meet with the sketch artist so soon. The agents probably wanted to get one in as soon as possible, before the young demigod could forget anything.

Percy was proud of the daughter of Hermes.

“He’s slightly older than we predicted.” Rossi gestured to the drawing. “Age is always the least accurate part of the profile but we assumed he’d have to be young to carry all the victims.”

“It makes sense though.” Reid pointed out. “He didn't have to force the teens, or Connor, into the van because they got in willingly. They recognized the vehicle and complied without a second thought.”

Percy examined the picture. The Asain man staring back at him looked somewhat familiar. Something about his striking features triggered an emotion in the demigod that he couldn't quite identify. It was like there was a memory on the tip of his tongue, just out of reach.

“And we need to talk about how Mr. Stoll was killed.” Prentiss interrupted his train of thought, introducing a new line of conversation.

“It was a steep escalation in violence compared to the other victims.” Morgan pointed to Connor’s picture on the board.

Percy couldn’t look.

“He had a lot of hate for Connor,” Reid continued. “That wasn’t present in the other victims.”

“He showed remorse for the others.” The demigod started to follow what they were saying.

Rossi nodded. “He executed them in a ‘humane’ way, with a single shot to the head.”

“And the white sheets.” Percy nodded to the youngest agent, remembering their conversation at Austin Moore’s crime scene. “He covered their bodies. Protected them from the elements and separated them from the trash of the alleys.”

“Exactly,” Hotch confirmed.

Morgan stood up abruptly, pacing back and forth. “Connor’s death was nothing like that. He wouldn't have died immediately from the stab wounds, it would've been extremely painful.”

Percy shifted uncomfortably, imaging both Connor’s torment, as well as Frannie’s fear. She was forced to watch her brother suffer and die but was unable to help. He could picture her praying to her father, and Hermes refusing to step in.

JJ reached out, placing a hand on the detective in comfort. He smiled at her gratefully.

Their moment was interrupted as Reid spoke up. “I think the location of the stabbing was intentional. It seems like a very specific place for it to be an accident.”

“I agree.” Hotch nodded. “The unsub focused all their anger into Connor’s left eye. Perhaps he himself suffers from an injury to that part of his face. He might be partially blind, either from an injury or a birth defect.”

Percy looked up suddenly. Left eye? Why was that familiar— Ethan.

“Hades.” The curse slipped out before he could stop himself.

Ethan Nakamura. How’d he miss this? It was so obvious, staring him straight in the face. He looked back at the drawing Frannie had described to an NYPD sketch artist.

Now that he had the son of Nemesis’s picture in his head, the features were easily distinguishable. Glossy hair and thin lips, their unsub was an exact replica of Ethan, just thirty-forty years older.

“Detective?” Hotch prompted.

The entire BAU was focused on Percy as he began to speak. “I know who our unsub is.”

“What?”

“Who?”

“Well—” Percy held up a hand, stopping the onslaught of questions. “I’ve never met him. I just knew his son.”

“What’s his name?” Morgan was reaching for the phone, ready to get their technical analyst on the line. “Garcia can find anyone.”

“I don’t know the unsub’s name, but his son was Ethan Nakamura?”

“You’re just telling us this now?” Rossi sounded slightly annoyed.

“I didn't realize until you mentioned that Connor was stabbed in the left eye.” Percy shifted, rubbing away the building emotion. “I didn’t really see _exactly_ what was wrong with Connor when we were at the crime scene. I— I couldn’t bear to look too closely.”

“It’s okay Percy.” JJ pat his arm. “That’s very understandable.”

“So what about the eye clued you in on Ethan?” Of course, that was Reid, always eager for more information.

“Ethan was missing his left eye.” He frowned. “Or maybe he was just blind in that eye? I’m not sure exactly but he always wore an eye-path.”

“What happened?”

“I don't know.” He knew exactly what happened. 

Ethan’s mother took the organ as some sort of fucked up payment. Nemesis promised Ethan that he’d make a difference, that he’d bring balance to the world, in exchange for his left eye.

“Why did he accuse you of killing his son?” The agents all looked at Percy expectantly as Morgan finished his question.

“I didn’t kill his son, but I was one of the last people to see him alive. I’m assuming that’s what Connor told our unsub. Ethan, he—” Percy cringed at the lie he was about to tell. “He killed himself.”

It wasn’t necessarily wrong, but it wasn’t the whole truth. Ethan had died trying to save them from Kronos. He was mortally wounded before falling off Olympus. Nobody could have survived what his body endured. His own actions had directly resulted in his death, but it wasn’t necessarily suicide.

“I’m so sorry.” JJ sympathized. “I’m assuming you were close?”

“Not really.” Percy didn’t have the words to describe their relationship. “I guess— I guess we were friends, in the end.”

They all sat in silence for a minute, not sure what to say.

It was Hotch that eventually broke it. “Morgan, call Garcia. We need to find the unsub before he decided to take anyone else.”

The agent in question nodded, finally dialing the tech genius, “Hey baby girl. You’re about to be on speaker.”

Percy privately hoped she wouldn’t start dirty talking again. As amusing as it was, he didn’t think he could handle it right now.

“Oh my gosh, guys. I just got the news. I’m so sorry detective…” She paused. “Is Detective Jackson even there?”

“Yes, I’m here Garcia.” He chuckled softly, charmed by her kindness. 

The demigod didn’t know this lady, had never officially met or even seen her, and yet she sounded genuinely upset by Connor’s death. It wasn’t often that law enforcement officers were affected by anything that didn’t personally involve them.

“I’m so sorry about your friend. This is terrible—”

“Penelope.” Hotch interrupted. “We have something for you.”

“Okay. Hit me.” She stopped her rambling. “My fingers are at your command.”

The unit chief gestured for Percy to speak. “We don’t know the name of our unsub, but we do know the name of his son. Ethan Nakamura.”

“That’s all you have?”

“His mother wouldn't be listed, or at least wouldn't have been in the picture at all throughout his life. And he was... about my age when he died? So he was probably born somewhere between 1990 and 1995.”

“Okay. Okay. That’s a little better. Do you know where he was from?”

Percy shook his head, forgetting that she couldn't see him. “I have no idea. Sorry, Garcia.”

“All good. It’s gonna take some time to search through the entire country but I’ll find him.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll hit you back when I've got something.” Percy could already hear the agent typing away as she hung up.

“In the meantime.” Hotch stood up. “We’ll review some security and traffic surveillance footage. It’s unlikely we’ll spot our unsub among the crowd, but it is possible. We need to use all our resources to find this guy.”

Rossi opened his mouth, ready to make a snarky comment. The older man probably agreed with Hotch but did not look too thrilled at the idea of aimlessly scrolling through hours of surveillance tapes.

“Percy!” A shout cut off whatever the Italian had been about to say.

The room turned as one towards the voice. 

It was Travis. Striding through the precinct, similar to how he had entered a few days again, with the news of Connor’s abduction.

Out of the corner of his eye, Percy saw Reid frantically flip the crime boards, hiding the pictures of Connor’s mutilated face and body.

“Nico came to see me.” The remaining son of Hermes sounded out of breath as he finally reached the room. “Said I should come in as soon as possible.”

Percy stood up, looking over Travis' shoulder to see Katie Gardner moving at a light jog to catch up with her boyfriend.

“We should talk about this in my office.” 

“Good news or bad news,” Travis asked, impatient. “Hades. I’m so stupid. Nico came to see me. It’s obviously bad news." He hugged himself tightly. "Gods, Connor is dead isn’t he.”

Even as he guessed the truth, Percy could see hope in the other man’s eyes, as if Percy was about to tell him that his brother was fine. The son of Poseidon wished it were the case.

Percy didn’t say anything, instead of waiting for Katie to reach them, before ushering the couple into his office. As strong as Travis tried to be, the death of his brother was going to break him. And Percy didn't want the other demigod to break down in the middle of an NYPD station. The demigod deserved privacy to mourn.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another one is done. RIP Connor... Hope you guys enjoyed it, next chapter should be up again in the next couple days.
> 
> If anyone is curious, I've now just finished binging Tiny Pretty Things (the nteflix show about ballerinas). It was weird but interesting. Very similar to Elite, if anyone has seen that, just worse? I half recommend half say it was terrible. Unfortunately, that means I've watched two whole Netflix shows within the last week... not sure how I feel about that. Lol maybe I should go outside and run or something?


	16. A New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garcia finds a lead and Reid learns something new.

Reid POV

Garcia called back sometime later, with an update. 

“He who seeks the Queen of All Knowledge, speak and be recognized.”

“Dollface.” Morgan rolled his eyes. “You called us.”

“Right. My bad.”

Hotch put down his fork. “What have you got?”

Amidst all the chaos, Reid, as well as the rest of the team, had forgotten about lunch. Now it was about 4 pm and the BAU had finally ordered takeout from a restaurant down the street, taking the time it took Garcia to find a lead, to eat their second meal of the day.

“Well… I’ve found four possibles.”

“Have you looked to see if any have been to the city in the last year?”

“I have sir. And found nothing.” Reid could imagine her squeezing a stress ball furiously. “Our unsub isn’t using his card so it’ll be harder to track him down. I can dig deeper into each of the possibles but it will be easier if we could just get Detective Jackson to confirm which Ethan Nakamura is our Ethan Nakamura.”

Reid remembered seeing Travis Stoll leave Percy’s office a few minutes ago. The victim’s brother was leaning heavily on his girlfriend, weakened by loss, eyes full of tears. He wondered how much the detective had shared… did he mention that Connor was tortured, that he had been stabbed repeatedly in the eye while still alive?

“I’ll go talk to him.” Spencer wasn’t sure why he volunteered but didn't take it back.

Hotch seemed just as surprised. “Okay. Just make it quick. We don’t want to waste any more time.”

The youngest agent nodded, in complete agreement with his unit chief.

Out of the corner of his eye, Reid saw the detective leave his office, headed for the exit. If he was going to catch the officer, he needed to go now. Spencer jumped out of his chair, startling his team, then strode out of the conference room towards his target.

“Jackson!” Reid called the detective's name.

The man didn’t hear him. Continued to walk, oblivious, out of the precinct.

He could go back and ask Garcia for Jackson's number but it would be easier to just catch up to the officer. Jackson seemed to be heading towards the same food place the BAU had just ordered from. Percy was probably just as hungry as the agents, but while they had been eating, he'd been talking to Travis, breaking the news about his brother's death.

Reid hadn’t seen him leave the office since.

Just as they reached 5th avenue, where Jackson should have turned right, the other man instead went left.

Reid frowned. That was  _ not _ the direction to ‘Sandy’s Subs & Salads.’

The young genius knew his suspicions were probably unwarranted but he couldn't help the uneasy feeling that told him Jackson was still hiding something. 

Which was probably why he decided, at that moment, to continue following the other man. He stopped the awkwardly walk-jog thing he’d been doing in an effort to catch up with the detective. Instead, Reid followed at a slight distance, hoping to stay unnoticed by the officer.

Jackson stopped at the next intersection, looking both ways before turning onto a smaller street. 

Where was he going?

Spencer watched from around the corner as Percy checked his surroundings. The detective was worried someone would see him. That in itself was suspicious. 

Ried looked away for a second, before turning down the street as well.

He blinked. Percy wasn’t alone. A younger and significantly smaller boy was now walking beside the police officer. Reid could have sworn the street had been empty before. How’d he miss that? It was almost as if the newcomer had appeared from nowhere, coming directly from the shadows.

Reid knelt down, moving closer to the pair while still maintaining cover behind the cars parked alongside the street.

“... and Travis told me you came to see him.” The agent was finally close enough to hear Percy speak.

Reid thought back to when Connor had barged into their meeting. Apparently, someone called ‘Nico’ had told him to go to the station.

“I did.”

So this stranger must be Nico.

“Did you talk to Connor’s spirit?”

Connor’s spirit? As in, talk to the victim after he had already died?

“I had to. I helped him cross into the underworld. Wanted to make sure he got treated with the respect he deserved.”

The underworld? Reid was completely lost. In Greek mythology, the underworld was a place where the souls of the living traveled after they had passed. It could be either a cruel hell or a happy paradise. They couldn’t possibly be talking about that… could they?

“I’m sure your father wasn’t happy.”

Nico laughed. “No. But he understood.”

Were they both delusional? Did they actually believe that Connor had traveled to Hades? Did Nico actually think that he had contacted the dead man’s spirit?

“Can you— tell him that I’m sorry?”

“He already knows Perce.” Nico placed a comforting hand on the detective's shoulder. They had stopped walking. “And he doesn’t blame you. He knows it wasn’t your fault.”

Jackson rubbed his forehead, letting out a deep breath.

Reid didn’t know what to think. He didn’t want to judge the detective for his beliefs but Greek mythology? That was unusual. Not many people still believed in those older gods.

“I’m assuming Connor recognized Ethan’s father?”

The behavioral analyst looked up at that. The unsub’s name was still considered classified information. They hadn’t released any information about Ethan Nakamura to the press, which means Jackson shouldn’t be telling anyone about it.

Reid wondered briefly if the detective had leaked the information about a police raid to the media. 

No. He wouldn't have been so stupid. So why was he giving away information now?

“He did,” Nico confirmed. “Connor also wanted me to tell you that he told Mr. Nakamura that you were the last person to see Ethan alive. That you might’ve killed him.”

“Hades.”

Reid had noticed the odd curse before, but this was the first time he realized just how weird it was. The detective was clearly deeply involved in this mythological word if his vocabulary had changed to match it. 

“He said that Nakamura threatened to torture Frannie. He said he didn’t have a choice. Said he had to give the man  _ something _ to protect his sister.”

Sister? Connor and Francesca did not share the same parents. There was no way they could have been related— unless it was on their father’s side. But the Stoll’s had claimed they didn’t know their father. And Percy had revealed that no campers knew their parents, so how could Connor know that Frannie was his sister?

“Tell him that I don’t blame him either.”

How did Nico know so much about the case? How did he know that their unsub had used Frannie against Connor? Reid didn’t even think Percy knew that. Francesca’s interview transcript had only just arrived. The other man was correct, but nobody outside of the BAU should have that information. Reid knew that none of his team members would leak anything, so who was his source?

Nico truly believed that he talked to the victim’s post mortem. And Percy trusted him, seemed to believe every word the younger man supplied. Reid wondered how a man as smart as the detective, could be so stupid to believe in such a religion.

“What are you going to do about Ethan’s dad?” Nico was speaking again. “He’s going to want answers. Answers that you can’t give while the government is watching.”

“I know.”

Reid’s thighs had started to burn, squatting so long behind a car. What answers could the unsub possibly want that the 'government' wasn’t allowed to hear? 

“We can’t have federal agents knowing about us.”

Now the pair were starting to sound like conspiracy theorists. They didn’t trust the government… and yet Percy was working for the NYPD? Was he just there to relay information to others in his group? Was it all a cover to protect some bigger secret?

Reid remembered what Jackson had said during their interrogation. He had compared camp to a cult. Maybe it truly was. A cult that believed in the Greek pantheon.

“Annabeth could probably think up some cover story.” Percy didn’t sound too worried.

Annabeth Chase? The detective's finance? Reid wasn’t surprised that she was somehow involved. Nobody could get close to someone like Jackson without being a part of the in-group.

“Better than the one she already created? That story about NDA’s and secret powerful families was ridiculous.”

Percy snorted in agreement. “But they believed it didn’t they?”

The two seemed to find that very amusing. Giggling together like teenagers, as if they had pulled off some great feat by convincing the FBI of their fake story.

Reid was not impressed, decided it was time to announce his presence.

“Jackson.” He stood up.

“Perce?”

“Di Immortals.”

They all stood staring at each other, unsure who would make the first move. Reid realized, uncomfortably, that he was outnumbered in this situation. If the two younger men truly wanted to keep their world a secret, they could easily overpower and kill him. He’d be left on this random street and it’d probably take his team days to find the body if Jackson was careful.

“Were you following me?” Percy tried to sound furious.

“Really?” Reid couldn’t deny the accusation. “That's what you're focused on? Not the fact that you lied to us about camp? That you're discussing classified information with a civilian? A civilian who knows more details about the case than you do?”

“Percy?” Nico stepped forward threateningly. “Who is this?”

“This is Agent Reid.”

“Doctor.” Spencer automatically corrected. 

Reid's hand unconsciously drifted towards the gun at his hip as Nico pierced him with an intense glare. The pale man was significantly shorter than the federal agent, with about the same muscle mass. Based on Nico’s body type, and the combat training that was beaten into all federal agents, Spencer should be able to take the smaller man in a fight...

But something about Nico’s aura screamed danger, screamed death. Reid couldn't explain it but he was terrified.

Percy noticed the aborded movements immediately. “Hey, hey. No need for that.”

He nudged the shorter boy, forcing him to raise his hands in surrender.

“We don’t have any weapons.” The officer continued. “We aren’t going to hurt you.”

“Speak for yourself,” Nico murmured to his friend, just loud enough for Reid to hear. “He’s died before. I can feel it.”

What? He had never died… he was standing right in front of them.

Unless— could he be talking about Tobias Hankel? That was the only time he had ever really ‘died.’ His heart had stopped for over a minute before the delusional man had performed life-saving CPR. But nobody knew about that, except his team. It wasn’t public record, wasn’t in the official FBI report, wasn’t anywhere. So how did Nico know?

“What did you just say?” Reid was officially freaked out.

“Nothing.” Jackson glared at Nico. “He didn't say anything.

Before Reid could protest, demand an explanation, another voice called out from the end of the street.

“Perseus Jackson.”

The man in question turned, face falling as he recognized the individual walking towards them. “You’ve  _ got  _ to be kidding me.”

Reid followed his gaze. He wasn’t sure who he was expecting to see walking towards them, but it wasn’t a cheerleader. The young woman had beautiful dark brown skin, curly hair that bounced as she walked, framing her stunning face and accentuating each feature. She was flanked by two other, equally gorgeous women, in matching outfits.

Reid was mesmerized. He could feel his entire body relax. All his worries seemed to melt away. Why did he care what the detective was talking about with his friend? Why did he even care about this case? It was taking up too much time, time he should be spending with these beautiful women.

“My favorite demigod.” She twirled her hair pleasantly. “And his cousin, Nico DiAngelo. Don’t worry, I promise you're my second favorite.”

Reid took a step forward, transfixed by her voice. In the back of his mind, he registered the word ‘demigod.’ That was important. The thought disappeared almost quickly as it had formed.

He took another step forward.

Before he could get any closer, Percy grabbed his arm.

“Agent. Snap out of it.”

Reid tried to shake off the other man, whining. “Let me go.”

“No.” Jackson grabbed his face with both hands, forcefully turning the agents until their gaze met. “Fight. It. This isn’t real.”

He stared into the other man's eyes for a second longer, before his mind began to clear. What the hell? 

He turned back to the cheerleaders, only they were no longer women. In their place were… he wasn’t exactly sure. Some hybrid monster with flaming hair, red eyes, and fangs. They no longer looked or walked like models. Instead of the graceful strut Reid had previously imagined, the women half limped down the street, movements hindered by the fact that one leg was completely bronze and the other was a donkey. 

Reid rubbed his face, sure he was hallucinating. Percy and Nico must have drugged him. This wasn’t real.

He turned to look back at the two men. 

“Good to see you again Kelli.” Jackson was holding a bat? Where had he gotten a bat?

“I missed you, my dear.” The monster hissed.

“I’m glad I’ll get the chance to kill you again. It’s just so fun.”

Reid watched the interaction with wide eyes. The detective had killed her before? That didn’t make sense… she was there, in the middle of the street, perfectly healthy.

“You reform unusually fast.” Now Nico was holding a bat too?

Spencer was a genius, he was used to being the most informed person in the room. But this? This was the first time in years he felt truly lost. What the fuck was going on? Was this some kind of extreme LARPing scenario he'd just accidentally stumbled upon?

“What can I say.” The beast— Kelli? — was delighted by the comment. “I’m good at my job.”

“And what job is that?” Nico seemed to enjoy making her angry. “Getting killed?” 

“This will be, what... the second, or third time?” Percy laughed along with his cousin. “And I see you brought your sisters. Is that Tammi and Ruthi?" His gaze shifted to the two newly named monstrosities. "She's leading you to your death ladies."

The monsters snarled, practically foaming at the mouth.

“What are they?” Reid wasn’t asking anyone in particular, didn't even expect an answer.

“Foolish mortal.” One of the other girls, either Tammi or Ruthi, glared at him. “We are Empousa. Formed from animal, bronze, and ghosts by dark magic. We exist to feed on the blood of men.” She paused, face briefly flickering back to that of a beautiful woman. “Come give me a kiss, handsome.”

Reid was frozen again by her words, momentarily entranced. He shook his head furiously, ridding himself of the spell. The agent had already seen their true forms, he wouldn't be so easily controlled.

“The only kiss you’ll get is when my blade slices off your head.”

Blade? Reid turned back to look at the detective. The other man was holding a baseball bat.

Reid blinked. No, it was a blurry sword. He blinked again. It was back to a bat. He blinked once more, totally bewildered. It was definitely a long glowing sword.

Spencer looked to Nico, and it was as if some veil had been lifted from his eyes. Percy’s cousin wasn’t holding a bat either, in his hand was another deadly weapon. The blade was pure black, no light reflecting off its surface, instead, shadows clung to it— were sucked into the sword. 

He was losing his mind.

“If you want us,” Percy shifted into a defensive stance. “Come and get us.”

Nico mirrored his posture. “Make it count. I haven’t had a good fight in years.”

Kelli growled again, springing into action. She seemed to have forgotten about Reid and was instead completely fixated on Jackson.

The former cheerleader slashed at his chest, claws just catching Percy's shirt as he danced away. He ducked low, sweeping his sword at her legs, hoping to incapacitate her. For a second, Reid thought the fight was about to end.

Clang. A loud noise echoed off the tall buildings as Jackson’s sword connected with Kelli’s bronze leg. He cursed, quickly disengaging, before rolling away to put more distance between himself and the monster.

“That ugly leg of yours is pretty handy.” Percy taunted. “You’d be back in Tartarus if it was anything but celestial bronze.”

Celestial bronze? Reid tilted his head. He’d never heard of that metal, never once seen it mentioned… anywhere. Perhaps it just existed within this new world of monsters and heroes.

Kelli turned from the demigods, to look at her sisters who had been watching the fight almost nervously. 

“What are you fools doing?” She screeched at them, flaming hair whipping angrily around her face. “Don’t just stand there. Kill him.” When they still hesitated, “You’ll never amount to anything if you're scared of one small demigod.”

They nodded to each other, building up their confidence before moving as a team towards Nico.

Percy’s cousin looked anything but scared as the two terrifying creatures advanced. He crouched low, ready to jump in either direction, twirling his sword dangerously.

Reid didn’t know where to look, Kelli had resumed the attack on Jackson and her two sisters were about to descend onto Nico. He felt like he was watching a fantasy movie play out right in front of him, in the streets of New York City.

Ruthi made the first move, clumsily charging the demigod both hands outstretched. Reid could hear Nico audibly scoff at the attempt. The other man easily step-sided, turning and striking her back as the monster flew past him.

The inexperienced empousa cried out, the blow knocked her to the ground but didn’t kill her. Reid absently wondered how they would hide the monster bodies. Did they just leave them in the street for anybody to find or was there some kind of sophisticated disposal method? Did police constantly find monster corpses across the city or would they look like cheerleaders again once deceased? Would this turn into some unsolved murder case?

He was broken from his thoughts as the second sister, Tammi, shrieked. The agent looked back to Nico’s battle. The demigod stood over Ruthi, sword poised to make a finishing blow. Halfway through his swing, Tammi jumped, launching herself unexpectedly onto his back, in a desperate attempt to save her Ruthi.

“Grab the mortal.” She yelled to her sister, clawing furiously at Nico’s shoulders. “They can’t be everywhere at once.”

The mortal? Reid pressed himself back against a car, gun finally unholstered and pointed at the monster who was now coming towards him.

He shot once, twice, but the bullets passed harmlessly through her. What the… His weapon was useless, he was completely defenseless.

“Come here, tasty boy.” The abomination stalked towards him gleefully. “You’ll be such a delicious appetizer.”

Reid whimpered, didn't know what to do. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nico throw the other empousa from his back and stab the ominous black sword into the ground. He thought he might’ve heard some sort of chanting coming from the other man but he couldn't focus, too distracted by the monster towering over him.

Spencer slid to the ground, bringing his arms above his head to ward off the coming blow.

He waited… expecting to feel some explosion of pain, but nothing.

Reid gave it another second, before opening his eyes, and peering through his arms. There was a— a skeleton? Yes, a skeleton soldier was protecting him from Ruthi. It wasn’t doing much damage to the monster, just standing in front of Reid as some sort of shield.

He stared open-mouthed as a pile of reanimated bones, shuffled around in broad daylight.

The agent didn’t know how long he sat there in shock, but at some point, Nico must’ve killed Tammi because suddenly he had taken the skeleton's place.

The demigod easily dispatched Ruthi. The young empousa was obviously unskilled, this might've been her first battle because she practically walked into Nico’s blade.

Reid wasn’t sure exactly what he expected to happen when the monsters died… something realistic, like a sliced up corpse. Instead, as Nico killed the empousa, she disappeared in a soft burst of dust.

“I—” Spencer had no words.

Nico ignored him, instead turning to the skeletal warrior who was now standing patiently at attention, waiting for its next orders. 

“You’re free to return to my father.” He reached towards the dead man’s skull. “Thank you.”

The skeleton crumbled at his touch, joining the empousa's now indistinguishable dust that was already being blown away by the wind.

“Take a deep breath agent.” Percy’s voice reached him from across the street. “I know it’s a lot.”

The detective stood casually over his own pile of the powder. His hair was covered with fine golden particles but Jackson either didn't notice or didn’t care.

“A lot.” Reid winced at his own hysterical tone. “I don’t know what just happened but it was more than  _ a lot _ .”

Nico stretched out a hand, pulling the agent off the ground but not responding to the unasked question.

"Do you have any ambrosia," The pale man turned to look at his cousin, gently touching the bleeding cuts on his shoulders. "Or nectar?"

Percy nodded, passing Nico a flask. "Here."

It was the same flak that the detective had given to Frannie back at the crime scene. Was nectar another word for alcohol? He'd never heard the term used that way before but if Nico wanted to clean his cuts, that would be the most likely substance to use. Had Percy really given a minor a flask full of liquor?

"Thanks." Nico took a sip, sighing in relief, before pouring the rest onto his wounds.

Reid winced, expecting the other man to mirror his actions. But instead of alcohol, a golden liquid flowed from the container and melted into the cuts. Spencer watched in disbelief, and the claw marks slowly closed before his eyes. Nico shrugged, rolling his shoulders experimentally. He must've been satisfied with his range of motion because he passed the flask back to Percy without another word.

“So is anyone going to explain? Or should I go back to the station and tell them everything that just happened.”

Nico laughed. “Tell them what, exactly? They’d think you were crazy. Nobody is going to believe that you fought three Greek monsters in some random alleyway in New York City. You have no proof.”

Reid didn't have a response. The other man was right. Maybe, if the empousas' bodies had remained, then he would have evidence that supported their existence. But without that… he had nothing. Not even his team would believe this. It was too— impossible. 

“So, Percy? Are you gonna do this or what?”

“Wait. Do what?” Reid was suddenly alert. They weren’t still going to kill him, were they? Detective Jackson was a good guy… right?

Percy was already shaking his head. “We can’t. You saw him break through the mist. It won’t work on him, at least not well enough to ensure he keeps quiet.”

“What won’t work?” Spencer started to back away from the pair nervously. He reached for his gun again, could only hope that the bullets would work on the demigods where they failed with the empousa.

“Calm down Reid.” Percy raised his hands again. “We’re not gonna do anything… except explain.”

“Basically we’re demigods. The Greek gods and every other myth that you’ve ever heard is actually real.”

Reid stared at DiAngelo in disbelief.

“Nico.” The detective scolded his cousin, before walking closer to Spencer. “It’s true though. It’s all real. What you just witnessed is only a small part of our world. The 'mist' hides our world from you. Normally, mortals can't see past it unless born with clear sight.”

Only a small part? Did they have to deal with this every day? Reid couldn't imagine walking down the street and expecting a monster to come from the shadows to try and  _ eat _ him. How had nobody noticed this world before? How did nobody know of the gods' existence?

The idea that some 'mist' could hide so much from so many people seemed unbelievable.

“So you’re a—” He paused, feeling ridiculous. “A demigod?”

“Yep.” 

“You  _ do _ know your father?”

Percy rubbed his neck awkwardly, forced to finally come clean. “I do. My dad is Poseidon.”

“God of the seas.”

“What a scholar,” Nico said sarcastically, unimpressed with his knowledge.

“And you?” Reid looked at the other demigod, analyzing him.

The black clothes, terrifying aura, and dark eyes. His parentage was obvious. Not to mention the fact that Nico was able to summon and control the dead.

Before Nico could answer, Reid spoke again. “Hades. Your father is Hades.”

“Bingo.”

“So you really did talk to Connor’s spirit?”

“I did.” The son of Hades sobered instantly at the mention of their fallen friend. “I met him in the underworld, made sure he made it across safely.”

Reid was once again left speechless. Never in his life did he imagine that he would be brought into a secret mythological world where the gods were real. He’d never been a very religious person, thought the idea that an all-powerful, benevolent Christian God was looking down and protecting his people, foolish.

Obviously, that God can't care much if he willingly lets so many innocents suffer. 

But the Greek gods? He remembered reading their myths as a child. The Olympians were ruthless, often involved themselves in the mortal world for pure entertainment. He could understand how they might sit upon their thrones and watch the world burn.

“Speaking of the underworld.” Nico looked towards the shadows as if they were talking to him. “My father is calling. I gotta go.” He turned to his cousin. “Be careful Percy. And find this guy before he takes another victim.”

“It was good seeing you Death Breath. Even if these aren’t the best circumstances.”

Nico flipped off his cousin, before walking straight towards the building wall.

Did he not see the brick? He was going to run straight into— no. He was gone? He disappeared into the shadows as if he’d never existed.

Reid whipped around to look at Percy. “He just—”

“It’s called shadow travel.” The detective laughed at his face. “One of the perks of being a child of Hades. He can go anywhere, as long as there is a shadow to step out of.”

“Incredible.”

“Yeah.” Percy shrugged. “We all have something.”

“What can you do?”

“I can communicate with any animal created by my father. So horses, pegasi, all animals that live in the ocean. And I can control water.”

“That’s incredible.”

"I suppose it is."

"And what was the stuff you gave Nico? It was in the same flask you gave Frannie."

"Oh, that?" Percy reached into his jack to pull out the mentioned item. "It's nectar." At Reid's continued confusion, he elaborated. "Nectar and ambrosia are the food and drink of the gods. It heals us, gives us strength."

"Thats— that's incredible." Reid could imagine all the good something like that could do. No more disease or illnesses, it would be a miraculous scientific breakthrough. "You could save so many lives with that."

Percy shook his head, already imagining what the agent was thinking. "It doesn't work on mortals. You would completely burn up if you consumed even the smallest amount. Even as demigods, because we're still half-mortal... we can only have so much before it kills us."

"Oh."

“You know, Spencer… you’re taking this relatively well.”

Reid shrugged. “What else am I supposed to do? I saw Nico 'shadow travel' and summon a skeleton, I watched his bloody lacerations completely heal within a minute and I was almost killed by a monster. If I don’t believe… then I admit that I’m losing my mind, that I’m going crazy.”

Percy looked at him seriously. “I promise you’re not going crazy.”

He hoped not. He didn't know what he’d do if this whole experience turned out to be some massive psychotic break, if he was finally developing the early signs of schizophrenia. As much as he loved her, he didn’t want to end up like his mother.

“What are the gods like?” Reid asked, eager to distract himself from the dark thoughts.

“Honestly. They're like children.” The sky thundered dangerously at his words.

Reid looked up nervously. There was not a cloud in the sky and the noise seemed louder than normal, almost unnatural. Was this the gods' listening? Were they angry?

Percy just rolled his eyes. “Zeus is temperamental, doesn't like it when people talk bad about him. But I’ve done more than enough, they can’t hurt me without all their children turning against them.”

“Why? What did you do?”

“What didn’t I do.” Percy laughed again, almost bitterly. “I went on pointless quests and watched my friends die for essentially nothing. We fought in two wars for them and yet they refuse to help when their children are being murdered in the streets of New York.”

“Two wars?”

“Yeah. Our unsub… Nakamura. His son Ethan, fought against us in the first war when Kronos tried to take over. So many demigods turned against the Olympians, tired of being mistreated. They didn’t realize that Kronos was worse than Zeus, that the Titan was planning on destroying the world.”

“So Ethan was a traitor?”

“I guess you could call him that.”

“So you  _ did _ kill him?”

Percy shook his head, sadly. “Not exactly. He realized he was on the wrong side at the last moment. He sacrificed himself to save me from Kronos. But in doing so, he was killed. He died a hero, that’s all that matters.”

“And this happened ten years ago? When you were, what… sixteen?”

“Yeah.”

Reid couldn't imagine fighting in a war at sixteen years old. He was still struggling through school, trying to figure out how to talk to his peers. Meanwhile, Percy was fighting immortals, watching his friends sacrifice themselves to save the world.

“That sounds both epic and terrifying.”

“That’s exactly what it is. Sometimes, it's amazing, even exhilarating.” Percy admits. “But mostly this life is filled with violence, pain, and loss. Our camp is for half-bloods, demigods that would otherwise be hunted by monsters their whole lives. They can smell our godly blood and their entire existence is spent trying to destroy us. Camp is the only safe haven for demigods. That’s why we were so reluctant to tell you about it. We don’t want that to be ruined.”

As much as Reid wanted to run and tell his team what he had just learned, the agent knew exactly why Percy was warry. The government was afraid of anything they couldn't control. If they knew about the gods, they would lose it.

If they learned about the children, demigods would never be safe. 

The fewer people that knew this secret, the better. And honestly, Reid wasn’t even sure the BAU would believe him if he told the truth. He knew he’d be skeptical if he was in their position. This was the sort of thing you had to see to believe. 

And after witnessing a fight between Greek monsters and half-gods, Spencer was a believer. 

He had seen Nico disappear into a wall. There was no logical explanation for that. No street magic or sleight of hand could successfully perform such a trick. The only possibility was a higher power. 

He just wished he could see a god in person. What were they  _ actually _ like? Percy described them as immature teenagers, but he had a hard time picturing divine immortal beings behaving like children. The demigod was more than a little biased, and Reid wanted to see for himself.

Honestly, he was just glad that his initial suspicions had been correct. Spencer had always thought the detective was hiding something. He never imagined it to be anything close to a secret mythological world, but he knew there was something. His gut feeling had been right.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By far, the longest chapter I've written. It's dummy dummy thicc. I considered breaking this up, making it two instead... but here she is as one massive chapter. Hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> If anyone is curious, LARPing = live action role playing. I'm assuming not everyone is familiar with the term but I didn't want to put it in the middle of the chapter. I personally hate with there are author's notes included within the body of a story.
> 
> The next chapter will be up in the next couple days again. Just a heads up, it's gonna be a lot shorter. Unfortunately, my new 5000 word chapter will not be the norm. Lol sorry to disappoint.


	17. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy thinks about his decision to tell Reid about his secret world.

Percy POV

He trusted Reid. He really did. But would the federal agent keep his word? Would he keep this secret from the rest of his team?

After days of working with the BAU, Percy could tell they were close. The agents were less of a team and more of a family. If he was in the young genius’s position, he didn’t know what he would do. On one hand, keeping such a huge secret would begin to weigh on you, but on the other, would anybody believe him if he _did_ reveal the truth?

His powers weren’t some parlor trick that he’d whip out just to prove the existence of the gods. If Reid did decide to tell anyone, the demigod was not going to perform any ‘magic tricks’ to convince them.

The law enforcement officers walked through the city in silence. Percy wanted to give the agent enough time to process everything.

They were about to reach the precinct when Percy realized he didn't know why Reid had followed him in the first place. 

“Wait.” He paused, turning to Spencer. “Why were you even following me?”

“Oh yeah…” Reid fixed his tie nervously. “I didn’t really mean to follow you... initially. I was just trying to catch up. I even yelled your name a couple times.”

“You did?”

“Yeah.” The agent laughed. “I couldn’t keep up with you. I’m not used to so many people, couldn't weave through the crowds like true New Yorker.”

“What can I say. Born and raised.”

“But anyways, Garcia found something.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe I forgot. Hotch is gonna kill me.”

“She found our unsub?”

“Almost. She found a few possibles. We needed you to confirm which Ethan Nakamura is your Ethan Nakamura. Then Garcia will be able to dig deeper into their history to find him in the city.”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Percy wasn’t sure how long they had been gone, but it was definitely longer than any agents had anticipated. He wondered if they were worried. Maybe they thought he and Reid had been kidnapped.

“Jackson.”

“Doctor.”

The pair were recognized almost immediately upon entering the police station.

“Reid,” Hotch was staring at them from just inside the conference room. “Where have you been? We sent you to get the detective almost two hours ago.”

Spencer looked at Percy, unsure what to say. There was no plausible explanation for why they hadn’t come back to the precinct immediately. They had an active serial killer still at large, every second counted, there was nothing more important the catching this unsub. Reid obviously wasn't used to lying, especially not to his boss. The son of Poseidon had to come up with a story quick.

It wasn’t like Percy could tell them that he’d been attacked by some angry Empousa.

“I uh—” He tried to think of something, anything. “I had to make some calls.”

“Some calls?” Hotch sounded unimpressed.

“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “Totally my bad. But Reid said Garcia had some pictures for me?”

Hotch sighed, unable to discipline an officer not under his command. “We do.”

The unit chief waved him into the room, closing the door.

Prentiss handed him an iPad. “Just swipe through the four pictures.”

Percy took it uncomfortably. He still wasn’t used to technology after so many years of avoiding it.

The first picture wasn’t someone he recognized. He swiped. Neither was the second. Percy wondered briefly if he still knew what Ethan looked like. It had been 10 years since he’d seen the other teen.

He swiped again. Bingo. That was his fellow demigod. He looked at the fourth person, just in case, before going back to the third. Ethan started up at him from the screen. The former traitor was younger, had both eyes, but it was definitely him. The son of Nemesis had the same haunted, angry look that used to haunt Percy’s dreams.

“This is him.” He handed the iPad back to Prentiss.

“You’re sure?” JJ asked.

“Yeah. When I met him, he had his eye patch, but that is definitely the same guy.”

“Okay.” Morgan pulled up another display, projecting Ethan's picture onto the flatscreen T.V. mounted on the wall. “That means that our unsub is Yuto Nakamura.”

“Yuto is a first-generation Japanese-American citizen. His parents were immigrants, but he grew up in rural Ohio.” Percy assumed Reid had read and memorized each of the profiles before coming to find him. “There’s nothing in his childhood to indicate a precursor to this psychotic and borderline sadistic behavior. His family was upper-middle-class and there are no obvious signs of abuse or any other risk factors present in his early life.”

“So what was the stressor that led to this psychotic break?” Rossi asked.

Percy knew exactly what. “His son’s death. This was the tenth anniversary. And he never knew exactly what happened to Ethan. He’s probably been looking for answers for a long time.”

“Why didn’t you just tell him what happened?” Prentiss asked suspiciously.

“We did.” Percy couldn’t explain why it wasn’t so simple. “He just didn’t believe us.”

The demigod could tell that the agents didn’t like his answer but for the first time since meeting the BAU, he wasn’t worried. He now had an agent on his side. He trusted Reid.

“We can’t dwell on it now.” Hotch took over. “We need to call Garcia, tell her that Yuko is our unsub, and hope she can find something.”

JJ stood up. “I’ll contact the media, release his picture to the public. It’ll reduce his chance of another successful abduction and it’s possible someone might’ve seen this man.”

“Morgan, Prentiss.” Hotch pointed to his two agents. “Canvas the hotels within our unsub’s comfort zone. Maybe, someone there will recognize his picture.”

They nodded.

“I can send some of my officers to join you.” Percy felt a little left out, wanted to do more, but he had to call Annabeth. 

He had to tell her everything. The son of Poseidon knew she would freak out, telling the FBI about their world was not apart of the plan but it'd been unavoidable. 

\--

“Please tell me you didn’t get arrested by the FBI.” 

“Annabeth.” Percy rolled his eyes, sitting down at his desk. “I promise I didn’t get arrested.”

“Your text had me a little worried.”

“I know Wise Girl.” He sighed.

“You’re sure they bought the story?”

“Yeah. I handled it.”

He heard a ding in the background, she must be on the subway, heading home from work. Percy knew most phones would lose touch in the tunnels, but Leo’s demigod design somehow had a concerning ability to maintain clear connections even in areas without service.

He had asked the son of Hephaestus how they worked once but the answer didn’t really make any sense. Something about making a deal with Iris to connect the calls of demigods through cell phones as opposed to an Iris Message? But then again, it wasn’t like the phone asked for a golden drachma for each call. He tried not to think about it too much. 

“I’m assuming you heard about Ethan?” Percy spoke again, aware that Annabeth was somewhat distracted by her commute. “The unsub is his father?”

“Yeah. Nico told me… I guess it makes sense. That man lost it when we broke the news of his son’s death. He called Chiron almost every day for a year, demanding to see Ethan. He was convinced we were holding him captive.”

“I didn’t know that.” Percy was shocked. 

Nobody talked to him about the aftermath of the war. So many demigods fighting for Kronos had been killed during the Battle of Manhattan. For the first time, he thought about how many calls Chiron would’ve made, to tell parents that their teenage children had died fighting a war that could've been avoided. 

How many shrouds had been made? How many kids had they burned? 

He couldn't even remember.

“Chiron didn’t want to tell you.” Annabeth sounded regretful. “He thought you would blame yourself for their deaths. Didn’t want you to beat yourself up to more than you already were. So many of the demigods fighting for Kronos had also turned their parents against us.”

“Their parents? What do you mean?”

“They told their parents about all the bad the gods had done. How the gods didn’t deserve their thrones and were abusing their power. They basically brainwashed their parents to hate camp, Chiron, and anyone who supported Olympus.”

“Di Immortals.”

“It made it really hard to tell them what happened to their kids. They accused us of murder, of trying to cover up our mistakes, didn’t believe the truth.”

“So that’s why Ethan’s dad is so angry?”

“Yeah. I think most of the parents eventually realized the truth or just gave up trying… it’s not like they could go to the police or anything. But Mr. Nakamura never did. I think eventually Chiron stopped answering his calls, blocked him. The 10 year anniversary of the war must’ve triggered something in him.”

Percy sat in silence, listening to the comforting city noises that trickled through the speaker of his phone, trying to take in everything his finance was telling him.

He couldn't be angry at her, or the centaur but it still hurt that they had waited so long to tell him. That they probably never would've told him if Yuto Nakamura hadn’t started killing demigods.

“Not that I’m not happy to hear from you… but why are you calling if you knew that Nico had already told me about the Nakamura's?”

The detective winced, remembering the real reason for the call. “I actually have some bad news.”

“Oh no.” She groaned. “What did you _do_ Seaweed Brain?”

“I kinda told one of the agents—”

“What?” She interrupted. “I know you're not about to say that you told them about the gods.”

“Not all of them? Just one.”

“Percy!”

“I know, I know.”

“ _Do_ you know? The gods will be furious.”

Percy couldn’t help the noise of disgust that left his mouth. “So what? It’s not like they care about us anyway.”

“Percy don't.” Annabeth sounded genuinely distressed. “You sound like Luke.”

“Well… maybe he was right. Not about Kronos, or the Titans but about the gods.”

He could picture her shaking her head. Annabeth had been a part of the Greek world for longer than he had. She had grown up at camp, didn’t know any life but the ones given to her by the gods. The daughter of Athena had always had more faith in Olympus, believed in them far more than Percy.

Maybe it was his fatal flaw that caused him to question their rule. His loyalty wasn’t to them, never was and never would be. He was loyal to his friends, other demigods, anyone living within Camp-Half blood or apart of the Roman Legion, not the gods themselves. 

“It’s not just about the gods Percy. You know this.” She paused, collecting herself. “If the government learns about our existence, they’ll never stop hunting us.”

“I know.”

“We’re too powerful and when they realize they can’t control us, they’ll try to wipe us out.”

Percy closed his eyes. He knew she was right but… “I didn’t have a choice.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Reid, one of the agents, he followed me. I didn’t notice and he overheard me talking with Nico. Then when he confronted us, we got attacked.”

“Attacked? By who?”

“Remember Kelli?”

“That stupid Empousa? Shouldn’t she still be in Tartarus?”

Percy heard another ding as his finance got off the subway, heading to their shared apartment. “I guess not? Anyway, she attacked us. Said something about coming to investigate the demigod murders herself. Then she smelled me and couldn't resist trying to come get her revenge.”

“And the agent? He could see her?”

“It took him a second, but yeah. He saw through the mist and was able to see their true form. Saw Nico use his powers and everything.”

“So you just told him?”

“Yeah.” Percy spun around in his chair helplessly. “We didn’t know what else to do.”

“Do you think he’ll tell his team?”

“I don’t think so. I told him that we couldn't control him, that he could if he wanted but I think he understood how dangerous it would be if the government found out about us.”

“You trust him?”

Percy thought about it for a minute, unsure. “I do.”

“Then I trust him too.” He could imagine her furiously twirling a strand of hair, the way she always does when stressed or upset. “You may be a Seaweed Brain but you’re the best judge of character I know.”

The son of Poseidon smiled, relieved. “Thanks, Wise Girl.”

“Just— just be careful.”

“I will. I promise.”

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little bit of a filler but I hope you all still enjoy it. I know she's a lot shorter than the last chapter... nothing close to that whooper.
> 
> Next one'll probably be up in the next couple days again. Maybe a little longer cause I've tragically hit a little writing block. I know what I want to happen but I don't know exactly how I want it to happen? Hopefully, that makes sense.


	18. Spilling Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reid doesn't want to be the only one aware of the Greek world and decides to tell someone about everything he's learned.

Reid POV

Reid was conflicted. Percy clearly wanted the agent to keep quiet but at the same time, the detective admitted that he couldn't control Spencer and the genius was free to make his own choices.

He understood the risks but he didn’t know if he could keep such a huge secret. He wanted to tell someone, just one person.

He looked across the office, to where JJ stood, on the phone with various media outlets. 

If anyone would believe him, it’d be her. She was the most open-minded of the BAU members. Morgan and Prentiss would demand hard proof of the gods' existence, something he couldn't give. Rossi would just laugh, then tell him to go away. The older man would want no part of this weird conspiracy. And Hotch… he didn’t want to put his team leader in that position. Didn’t want the other man to be forced to choose between keeping someone else's secret and following protocol, which would lead to the entire FBI learning about the existence of the Greek Gods.

Reid thought he knew which the man would choose but it wasn’t fair.

Besides, JJ was his best friend. The first person to give him a nickname and treat him as a normal person, not just some weirdly smart colleague. 

He was the godfather to her children, the one she turned to before anyone else.

In an instant, he knew what he’d do. He was going to tell her. She’d either believe him or she wouldn't and then they’d probably never talk about it again.

\--

Reid pulled JJ into a random room, shutting the door behind them.

“Spence? What’s up?”

He ignored her, making sure the door was locked.

“What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“You should sit down for this.” 

She sat obediently, unsure where this was going. Reid leaned back on a desk facing where she resided on the couch. It was the same room they had interviewed those young campers— demigods— that had come searching for Frannie.

“Spencer, you’re scaring me.”

“JJ.” She looked at him intently. “I’m going to tell you something that sounds ridiculous, basically impossible, but I need you to believe me.”

“Okay…” 

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

Reid ran a hand through his hair. “You know me right? You know how much it takes for me to believe in supernatural things?”

“Super—” She eyed at him weirdly. “Reid, what are you going on about?”

“I’m just saying… you know how I like to see evidence, proof of something before believing it. I’d never just accepted anything a stranger told me. It’d take a lot to convince me.”

“I don’t know where you’re going with this.”

“JJ… just answer the question.”

His best friend rubbed her necklace, a nervous habit. “Yes. You’re very analytical, believe in scientific facts as opposed to unsupported and unproven theories.”

Reid nodded along with her. He wanted to remind her that he wouldn't just accept anything. That the information he was about to share, wasn’t based on nothing.

“I don’t see how this is relevant though?”

“Just promise that you’ll listen before thinking I’m crazy.”

“Reid, what—”

“Promise me JJ.”

“Okay.” She relented. “I promise.”

“Remember when I went to find Detective Jackson?” She nodded. “And it took a long time to find him? Well, he wasn't just making calls.”

“What do you mean?”

“I accidentally overheard him talking with this other guy.”

“You spied on him?”

Reid shook his head furiously. “No, no… well technically, but that’s not the point. They were discussing classified material. And the other guy, not a cop or anything, knew sensitive information that Percy didn’t even know.”

“How? You think there’s been another leak? We should tell Hotch.” She went to stand up.

“No!”

JJ threw up her hands, exasperated. “I don't know what you want from me.”

“Just listen.” She sat back, sinking into the cushions. “So I overheard the conversation and thought I should confront him, he was technically breaking the law. And then right before either of us could say anything, these cheerleaders appeared.”

“Cheerleaders?”

“Yes. Cheerleaders… except they weren’t actually cheerleaders. They were monsters.”

“Slow down.” JJ held up a hand. “I think we skipped some steps. You saw monsters? Dressed as cheerleaders.”

“I know it doesn’t make sense.”

“It doesn’t just ‘not make sense.’ You sound crazy Reid. Are you sure you’re okay? Have you been having headaches again?”

Headaches? Why did that matter— oh. She thought he was having a psychotic break. JJ thought he was showing the starting signs of schizophrenia.

“JJ you promised.” He reminded her.

“Reid, you’re scaring me. I’m just trying to look out for you.”

The genius sighed. “I know. But I haven’t had a headache in months.  _ This _ is not  _ that _ .”

She didn’t seem convinced but waved him on.

“Anyways… the ‘cheerleaders’ were actually Greek monsters called Empousa. They only appeared as cheerleaders because they were hidden by a glamour, the Mist.”

“Mist?”

“Percy said that the Mist is used to hide their world from mortals. It’s like a magical blanket over your eyes. I honestly don’t really understand it, but I don’t think he does either.”

“Woah. Woah.” She shook her head. “Jackson is involved in this as well? And what is his world?”

“The Empousa were there for Jackson, they were hunting him and wanted to kill him.”

“What?!”

“I know. Their world is crazy.” Reid was honestly in awe. He couldn't believe that such a huge secret was so well kept from the entire world.

“I still don’t know what ‘their world’ is.”

“Right. Sorry. The Greek gods, myths, monsters, everything. It all exists.”

“Reid.” She took a deep breath, collecting herself. “I wish you could hear yourself right now. I want to believe you, I really do but this? This is crazy.”

“I know, I know. But it’s true. Percy’s dad is Poseidon.”

“Poseidon? I thought he didn’t know his dad.”

“That was all fake. They created that cover story to fool us. They knew we would be suspicious of Percy and might eventually question him.”

“It sounds more like a story created by a kid abandoned by his father. We see this all the time in unsubs, they create alternate realities in their heads to make themselves feel better. This ‘Poseidon’ is probably just his imagination. He didn’t want to believe that his father would leave him so he made the absent man into an all-powerful God.”

“It’s not like that though.” Reid wished Percy was here to prove it. “He doesn't idolize Poseidon. He still thinks his father is an asshole, thinks all the gods are assholes.”

Thunder rumbled overhead at his words. Now that he knew the gods were real, they must be watching to make sure he doesn't step out of line. Percy warned him not to speak ill of the immortal beings, he’d have to be more careful.

“See?” Reid gestured towards the ceiling. “They’re listening.”

JJ tilted her head upwards cautiously, listening for the noise again. “That’s just thunder, the weather, not gods.”

“I’m so stupid.” Reid cursed himself for bringing his friend into this. “I never should’ve told you. I should’ve just kept quiet like Percy wanted.”

“Spence, it’s okay.”

He pushed away her comforting hand. “Of course you don’t believe me. I know it sounds crazy. I don’t think I’d believe you if our positions were reversed.”

“I’m sorry.” She shrugged. “It’s just… if you’re right. If the gods are real… how have they kept it secret for all these years.”

“It’s the Mist, it hides everything from us.”

“Right. The Mist.” She said, humoring him.

Reid groaned, catching her sarcasm. “The camp… all these victims? They’re not normal kids. They’re demigod children.”

“So this case is part of the world too?”

“Yes.” He continued explaining, although he knew she didn’t believe a word he said. “Our unsub, Yuto Nakamura, his son Ethan was killed during one of their wars. Percy thinks he’s trying to find closure.”

“War? They’ve had a war?”

“Two actually.”

“And what? The 'mist' hid that from us too?”

Reid nodded awkwardly, realizing just how far fetched the whole thing was. If he hadn’t seen the swords, the monsters, their powers? He wouldn’t believe it either. The agent thought he might’ve been able to explain it in a way that made _some_ sense, but obviously, JJ was just becoming more and more concerned for his mental health.

“Spence, we should talk to Hotch. Tell him that—”

“Tell him what? That I’m losing my mind?”

“I never said that.” JJ met his accusing gaze uncomfortably. “But maybe you should get a psych eval when we get back. See a doctor… just in case?”

“No.” He disagreed completely, but didn’t know how to convince her otherwise. “I already told you it’s not schizophrenia, I’m not crazy.”

“I’m not calling you crazy Spence. I just want…”

Reid ignored his friend as a familiar figure walked by. 

Percy. 

He knew the officer didn’t want to do 'magic tricks' to convince anyone of his heritage, but it was the only option. Otherwise, his entire team was about to think he was in the midst of a psychotic break. He’d be taken off this case and benched for— possibly forever.

He couldn't let that happen and he knew Percy wouldn't either.

“Spencer, what are you doing?” JJ asked as the BAU’s personal genius strode over to the door, unlocking and opening it in one smooth motion.

“Detective!” He yelled before the other man got too far.

“Reid.” The officer in question spun around. “What is it? Did Garcia find him?”

He just waved Percy inside, closing the door behind him.

“Jackson.” JJ greeted hesitantly, unsure where this confrontation was going.

The detective sighed. “You told her didn’t you.”

Reid rubbed his neck. “Uh-huh.”

“And she didn’t believe you.”

“Nope.”

“Hades.” Percy cursed, turning towards JJ. “Everything he said is true?”

She frowned at them. “Yeah… that’s not going to work. If this is some kind of prank, it’s not funny. You’re both just freaking me out.”

“Unfortunately it’s not a prank. It’s just my life.” 

“So.” Reid shifted his weight. “Can you…” He waved his hands in the air dramatically. “Do some Poseidon water stuff or something?”

“I’m not a dog.” Percy looked at Reid, one eyebrow raised at his audacity.

“Sorry, it’s just—”

“But I’ll help.”

JJ studied the pair warily. “I don’t know what either of you are talking about but I’m genuinely concerned.”

Percy didn’t respond, just snapped his fingers sharply.

The sound rang intensely throughout the room. Reid had never heard anyone snap like that. He never thought he’d be impressed by such a mundane action but somehow… it hung in the air almost unnaturally, lingering for what seemed like an eternity.

JJ seemed equally entranced. Her eyes were glazed over, didn’t seem to register anything.

“What did you do to her?” Reid didn’t like the way his friend seemed to just… exist.

“I can either make her forget this conversation,” Percy didn’t break eye contact with the woman under his control. “Or I can help her to believe.” When Reid remained silent. “It’s your choice, Spencer.”

Reid didn’t know what to say. On one hand, it would be easier for JJ if this never happened, if she was allowed to continue living her life without any knowledge of the gods. On the other hand, he wanted to experience this with his friend, didn’t want to be alone.

Maybe he was selfish but… “Make her believe.”

Percy nodded, as if expecting the answer, before addressing the hypnotized JJ. “You will  _ see _ . You will not be held back by the Mist but instead, notice the hidden world one step beyond it. Oh Hecate, Titan goddess of magic, the Mist and crossroads, hear this prayer and lift the veil that protects, hides and silences. Allow this mortal to  _ see _ !”

The last part wasn’t directed at JJ, but the air around her. Reid assumed Hecate was the one in control of the Mist, and would ultimately decide if his friend was allowed to join the world of the gods. He wondered if the goddess ever said no, ever refused to listen.

Percy snapped for the second time but it wasn’t as jarring as the first.

“What— what was that?” JJ blinked awake, looking disorientated. “I feel like something just happened.”

Reid sat down next to her, placing a hand on his partner's shoulder to ground her. “Percy just lifted the Mist. Now you’ll be able to see the world as it truly is.”

“Well.” She stared at him like before, like he was crazy. “I still don't believe you. And now I’m just dizzy.”

Spencer turned to Percy helplessly, expecting the snap to have changed everything.

“I can’t make her believe in something, Reid. I can't put such complex thoughts and ideas into her head.” The detective explained, sensing his thoughts. “All I can do is help her see the truth.”

He held up a pen, twirling it between his fingers intentionally.

“What is that?” JJ watched his actions incredulously. “Are you going to tell me that pen it’s actually a sword?”

Percy just smiled, flipped off the cap. Reid watched the pen shift, mouth open. He had seen Percy fight off the Empousa with that sword but hadn't seen it transform. It was incredible.

He turned his head, glad to the same expression of awe mirrored on JJ’s face.

“I—” She couldn't form any words.

“This is my sword Anaklusmos.” Percy swung the weapon a few times, letting the agents be transfixed by its beauty. “That's Greek for Riptide. It was first a gift from my mentor, and then re-given to me by a good friend.”

Reid couldn’t help the smug smile that graced his face as he playfully shoved his fellow agent. 

"Who's your mentor?"

Percy sighed, obviously not happy to give away so much information. "I've been referring to him as Mr.Brunner, but his real name is Chiron."

"Chiron as in..." Reid gasped as the detective nodded.

That meant that Percy was trained by a real-life centaur. Reid had already accepted that all the myths were real, but it still amazed him to hear how all those ancient creatures were still alive and well. Chiron must've been thousands of years old, had taught all the most famous Greek heroes. The man— centaur would've seen countless civilizations rise and fall. The agent added Percy's mentor to the running list of Greek deities he wanted to meet. 

Despite his unusually fast reading abilities, the genius would never be able to learn even _half_ the knowledge Chiron must carry with him. If he could just have five minutes with the immortal teacher, to ask a few questions... he'd be satisfied.

“So it’s true.” JJ's voice broke him from his thoughts. She didn't seem to notice Reid's lapse in focus, couldn't look away from Percy's sword.

“Everything is real. The gods. The monsters.” The detective pointed to himself. “And of course demigods.”

“That’s— I don’t know what to say.”

Reid smiled at her again. “Don’t say anything. I know you wouldn't have believed without proof. I never should’ve tried to tell you.”

“But I’m glad you did.” She hugged him. “I’m glad you trusted me with this.”

“Like I said to Reid earlier.” Percy interrupted their moment. “This isn’t something that you can just go around telling people. We need our secret to remain safe. This case is already a disaster for our world. I’m sure you can imagine what would happen if the public realized there were powered up teenagers running around with medieval weapons.”

JJ nodded seriously. “I understand.”

“Good.” He nodded to the door. “We should probably get back—”

Before the detective could finish, Morgan busted through the door. Reid must’ve forgotten to lock it after inviting Percy inside.

“Guys. Garcia might’ve found him. Come on.” The muscular man did a double-take. “Detective? Why are you holding a bat?”

Morgan was gone before Percy could respond.

“A bat?” JJ asked, confused, torn between their case and understanding the new world she had just been thrust into. “He can’t see the sword?”

Percy shook his head, capping the pen and placing it in his pocket. “The Mist hides everything from mortals. Now that I’ve lifted the veil from your eyes, you’ll probably see some things that shock you. Try not to let it bother you. For the most part, monsters and spirits will ignore you, as long as you ignore them.”

JJ was once again left speechless, unsure how to respond.

“Now let’s go.” Percy moved towards the exit. “We have a case to solve.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand we here we have the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy. The next one might take me a little longer than usual but I think it'll be up before the end of the week??
> 
> If anyone is curious about my current life struggles... my best (and only 2) friends are leaving for school in a couple days— which means I'm gonna be stuck all alone in my sad hometown with nothing to do until the end of the month. I don't get why my semester starts so much later than everyone else's. RIPPP. Big big sad.
> 
> Anyways, lol thanks for listening to my mini rant. Adios for now.


	19. A Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garcia finds another lead that may help them find their unsub, Nakamura.

Percy POV

“Listen up curvaceous crime fighters.” Garcia’s peppy voice filled the room. 

“Curvaceous?”

“Interesting choice of adjectives there Penelope.”

“I don’t  _ yet  _ know where our unsub is hiding,” The woman continued as if she hadn’t just been interrupted. “But I did find something interesting...”

“Spill Baby Girl. The suspense is killing me.”

“Yuto Nakamura has been sending money to one May Castellan, in sporadic payments for the last couple years.”

May  _ Castellan _ ? Why would Ethan’s father be sending money to Luke’s mother? They may have fought in the war together, but Percy didn’t think the two demigods were particularly close. Then again, he hadn’t been with them in the ranks of Krono’s army. Perhaps they had developed a bond after spending so many years among an army of primary monsters.

“Maybe she’s his girlfriend?” Prentiss suggested dubiously.

“No.” Percy interrupted. “May Castellan was the mother of one of Ethan’s friends, Luke.”

“Why would they be in contact? Is Nakamura sending money to help support Luke?” Hotch furrowed his brow, deep in thought.

“Not quite.” Percy shifted. “Luke is also dead.”

“I’m assuming this Luke guy was a camper as well,” Rossi asked. “Why are so many of you fellow campers dead?”

The demigod winced. Because they had fought in a war. They had all been manipulated by immortal beings who were too afraid to fight their own battles.

But instead of saying anything, Percy just shrugged. “It was a hard, no— tragic year.”

“How did Luke die?” 

“He— uh, killed himself.” That sounded more suspicious than he had intended. “Luke and Ethan were pretty close. I think Ethan’s death pushed Luke over the edge and he felt he had no other choice.”

That wasn’t exactly what happened… but it was close enough to the truth that Percy didn't feel so guilty for lying to the agents.

“I’m so sorry.” JJ always seemed to be the one offering him comfort. 

“That still doesn’t explain why our unsub was in contact with Ms. Castellan.” Hotch reminded them. “Unless you think she is a part of this somehow.”

“It’s not likely.” Percy tried to remember what the woman was like, how could he describe her to someone that didn't know about Hades' curse.

He had only visited her once, with Nico, right before heading to the underworld to swim in the River Styx. She had been… deranged. And he could only assume she hadn’t recovered, her condition probably worsened with time. After attempting to accept the Oracle of Delphi, the woman had lost her mind. It’s what drove Hermes away and what eventually drove Luke away too.

“May Castellan wasn’t exactly sane.” The son of Poseidon explained. “She suffered some mental break that caused Luke to run away when he was young. He traveled to camp and basically forgot about her.”

“That’s horrible.” JJ was upset. “He just abandoned his mother?”

“It wasn’t like that.” Percy didn’t know what to say. “She— she was unhinged. She had these dreams, more like nightmares, of the future. She would constantly predict Luke’s death and be overcome with these terrifying fits.”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” Rossi stated, easily able to read the demigod's nonverbal cues.

“Once. It was— I understand why Luke left.” He shook himself, recalling the incident. “She was convinced I was her son, although we looked nothing alike. I was told that every day she made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for Luke's lunch. Even after her son left, she thought he would return home. She kept making sandwiches. By the time I visited, the entire kitchen was filled with rotting food and burnt cookies.”

“Oh my god.” JJ held a hand to her mouth, horrified at what had become of Ms. Castellan.

They sat for a moment, trying to imagine her pain.

“Penelope.” Morgan broke the silence to address their technical analyst. “Can you check Nakamura’s phone records— or anything to see if he either visited May Castellan or was in contact with her.”

“Done.” There were some furious clicks on the other line, as the entire room waited for her response. “It seems like he did visit a couple months ago. Nakamura’s credit cards show a lot of activity in Ms.Castellan's town and phone records indicate that the two have been in contact .”

“So how does May Castellan fit into this puzzle?” Hotch proposed to the team.

“She probably convinced Nakamura that his son was still alive,” Percy answered. “She believed that Luke was alive, that he was coming back to her long after he was gone. She could have passed that belief onto our unsub.”

Rossi nodded. “Even if it was unintentional, the constant talk about her son being alive, despite both adults knowing that he died, might've convinced Nakamura that his own son shared that same fate as hers. Together, their shared delusion wouldn't seem so impossible. They would be able to convince each other that what they believed was the real truth.”

“That’s possible.” Hotch agreed. “Garcia, check if there is any property under May Castellan’s name in the city. Since the two are possibly working together, our unsub could be staying somewhere under her name.”

Percy thought it was a stretch. He’d seen May Castellan's house, even years ago... it was falling apart. In her mental state, she couldn't hold down a job or make any money on her own. There was no way she’d be able to afford an apartment or house in New York.

“Got it!” Garcia was triumphant. “There’s an apartment under May Castlelen’s name in Harlem. Only a few blocks from where the unsub was holding Frannie and Connor.”

What? How could she be paying for that? And why?

“Wait. That’s weird.” The agent back in Quantico sounded confused, her previous celebratory tone had disappeared. “The apartment is definitely listed in Castellan’s name but she isn't the one paying the bills.”

“Who is?” Reid spoke up for the first time. “Nakamura?”

“No.” Percy could imagine the flamboyant lady shaking her head, could her frantically tapping away at her keyboard. “Someone named Fred?”

“No surname?”

“Nothing…” She let out a frustrated breath. “That shouldn't be possible. You need to give a full name when making non-cash payments to an apartment.”

Percy ignored the other woman, lost in thought. Fred. Why was that name so familiar? He thought back, tried to remember where he had heard that before.

The only person that would fund an apartment in New York for May Castellan was— Hermes.

She’d be closer to Olympus, he wouldn’t have to expend as much energy to go visit his lover. And a young May, wouldn't complain. Under Hermes' care she was able to live in the city for free, the perfect life for a beautiful twenty-something who had managed to catch the eye of a god.

And Fred— Fred was the name Apollo had given him while questing to save Artemis. The sun god had appeared in the form of a homeless man, offering passage across the country. The pseudonym had been used to hide Apollo’s presence from his father Zeus. It made sense that Hermes would use the same alias. 

The two gods had always been close, always got into trouble together. Even if Hermes seemed more mature, Percy knew their friendship was centuries old, undeniable. The name was probably some stupid inside joke between the two immortals. 

“This ‘Fred’ is probably Luke’s father.” Percy offered. “He can’t use his real name but he probably knew that May couldn't pay for it herself and wanted the woman in the city so he could easily visit.”

“But why would he still be paying the bills?” Rossi questioned. “So many years after the fling ended? I’ve had my fair share of lovers, and not one of them got my financial support after we ended things.”

Prentiss rolled her eyes at the Italian as Percy floundered for an answer.

“That man is so rich, he probably forgot he was even paying for it. I’m sure it just slipped his mind. And whoever manages his money, is probably too scared to ask what the apartment is even used for.”

The demigod tried to avoid both JJ and Reid’s questioning gazes. He knew the two agents were probably curious, wondering who Luke’s father was. He hadn’t explained much to JJ, but Reid knew somewhat about the various power dynamics within Olympus. Now that they know of the gods, they would never stop wondering about parentage.

“It’s our only lead.” Hotch stood up, prompting both Percy and the rest of the BAU to follow his lead. “Garcia, send us the address.”

“Already on it sir.”

“And contact the police department in May Castellan's town. Send someone to check on her, look around to see if there is anything suspicious. Don’t give too much information on the case, but make sure they know it’s serious.”

“Of course.”

“We’ll head out as quickly and discreetly as possible.” The unit chief looked at Percy. “We don’t want another leak.”

Percy was not about to argue with the older agent. “I’ll find whoever spilled to the press after this case is closed. But as of now, we have the element of surprise. We need to use that to our advantage before the unsub gets away again.”

\--

They pulled up onto the sidewalk in front of the quiet building, not bothering to officially park their cars. They didn’t have time to waste. The longer they sat outside in their official vehicles, the longer the unsub had to notice their presence and slip away.

With no news of another abduction, the team didn’t need to be as cautious as before. There were no innocent victims at risk, only their unsub.

As they walked to the building, Percy wondered what he was going to do once Nakamura was caught. He hadn't thought this far ahead. The psychotic man would be able to reveal as many secrets as he wanted about their underground world. At first, nobody would believe him, but eventually, if enough truths were presented, some might be hard to ignore.

“Oh thank God.” A woman, who the detective assumed was either a tenant or the landlady, ran up to them. “You came so fast. I was so worried, didn't know what to do.”

Hotch grabbed her arm, looking deep into her eyes to stop the frantic rambling. “What do you mean?”

“I just called the cops.” She let out a sigh of relief. “There’s a man on the roof, acting crazy, waving around a gun.”

Percy exchanged a look with Reid. Was this their unsub?

The women seemed to notice their confusion. “Wait… is this not why you’re here?”

“Can you describe the man for us?” Prentiss stepped forward. “We have more officers on the way.”

“Yes. Of course.” She rubbed her arms nervously trying to remember. “He was Asain, black hair? And when I asked him to leave, he said something about his duty to God and vengeance.”

Percy looked up. That was definitely Nakamura.

He started towards the elevator without waiting for the rest of the team. He knew they had already caught on, were following him.

“How do we get roof access?” Hotch sensibly asked the woman as his agents rushed away.

Before she could answer, Reid was already calling back. “I memorized this building's floor plans on the way here. Garcia sent them to me.”

Hotch shook his head, but followed them to the elevator. The unit chief held up a hand, nodded his head to the woman, thanking her for the help. “Please stay here until we say it’s safe. And if you could call any tenants that are in the building and tell them to stay inside…”

The doors closed.

The ride up was uncomfortable. All six BAU agents as well as Percy were squashed into the same elevator.

Percy didn’t much like riding elevators. They made him slightly claustrophobic. And after Tartarus, he couldn't help but think the machines were going to break and send him plummeting down the dark shaft into hell. At least this one had better music than the Empire State Building's ride to Olympus.

He got off as quickly as possible, giving himself a second to catch his breath, before following Reid to the door that gave them roof access.

He could hear Nakamura ranting as soon as he stepped outside. The words were nonsensical, something about blaming the gods for his son’s death and bringing balance to the world by getting revenge.

But before Percy could step out from behind the large AC units, Hotch stopped him.

“You should stay back.” 

“No way. He wants  _ me _ .”

“Exactly,” The agent was unwilling to back down. “We don’t know what he’ll do when he sees you. It’s too risky.”

“I—”

“Jackson. Please.” Hotch looked at him intently. “Right  _ now _ I’m asking but the BAU can take charge of this case at any moment… and I will order you to obey my commands.”

Percy pushed the other man off angrily. This was not how he wanted this interaction to play out. But he couldn't deny the other agents' words, Hotch had the seniority and experience. And although the demigod didn’t want to admit it, he trusted Hotch. If anyone could talk down the unsub, it was the BAU.

The older man took Percy’s silence as acceptance, leading the rest of his team onto the open roof.

Reid caught the son of Poseidon’s eye as he passed. The genius looked warry, uncomfortable but Percy had no way to offer any reassurance. He was sending the agents into a situation blind, they had no idea what they were about to walk into. All  _ they _ saw was a delusional man, but Percy knew there was more.

He would listen to Hotch, follow the FBI’s orders, stay hidden, as long as possible. But the second of his new friends were in danger? He’d be out on the rooftop in a second to protect them. 

He wouldn’t sacrifice their lives for safety for his own. If Nakamura was going to kill him… so be it.

Percy watched the agents file out into the open, eyes locked on their target, hands hovering preemptively over their hips.

It was precautionary, allowing for a quick draw. They didn’t yet have a clear view of their unsub, they didn’t want to be caught unawares by a man who had already taken the lives of five teens.

“Gun!” Morgan shouted. 

It was a chain reaction. The entire BAU reached for their holsters, pulling out their own guns and training them onto Nakamura.

Yuto finally seemed to notice their presence. He stopped pacing and faced them head-on, unafraid to stare his would-be executioners in the eye.

“Who the hell are you?” The serial killer looked at each agent individually, unhappy with what he saw. “I was told Percy Jackson was in charge of this case.”

“Well…” Hotch lowered his weapon, stepping forward to address Nakamura, probably hoping to build some personal connection. “You’re going to have to talk to us instead.”

Their manic unsub was not impressed. He raised his gun, this time pointing it directly at Agent Hotchner. 

“I’ll kill you all. I don’t care.”

Hotch raised his hands, trying to calm the other man. “We just want to talk. Why don’t you tell us why you’re doing this. We’re with the FBI, we can help.”

Nakamura laughed. “Help?” He asked incredulously. “I don’t want your help. All I want is Jackson. And if you can’t give me that… Then you’re no use to me.”

His hand stopped shaking. His aim steadied. If Yuto fired now, he’d hit— kill Hotch.

Percy wouldn’t let that happen, couldn't let it happen. Nobody else was going to sacrifice themselves for him. He didn’t care if the agents wanted him to stay back, he was the only person that could possibly reason with this broken man.

“I’m here.” Percy stepped out from behind the rooftop air conditioning unit. 

“Jackson.” Rossi hissed at him as he walked to the front of the line. “Stay out of this.”

The son of Poseidon ignored the older man, he had to do this. If not for all the unsub's victims, if not for Connor, then for himself and for Ethan. Percy didn't know what their relationship had been, but he didn’t think the other demigod would want to see his father so destroyed.

“What do you want to say to me?”

Nakamura seemed shocked to see him, probably didn’t expect to actually confront the object of his anger.

“I— you,” The man stumbled over his words, unprepared. “You killed my son.”

“No, I didn't. He killed himself.”

“I don’t want to hear any more lies. Chiron told me enough already.” Nakamura moved his gun from Hotch to Percy. “He would never kill himself.”

The son of Poseidon tried a different strategy. “So then what happened? You tell me what you know.”

“I know Ethan was strong. He was fighting against the gods' tyrannical rule before you got in his way. He joined with Luke, told me himself. Kronos was the rightful king. Together they were going to save the world.”

Percy could see the agents eye each other from his peripherals. They must think Nakarmua completely insane. To an outsider, Yuto was delusional, stuck in some fantasy world away from reality... but to Percy, to anyone within the Greek world? Yuto's speech was based on the truth.

“Luke just felt betrayed. The only thing that bonded him to Ethan was their shared bitterness.”

“No.” Nakamura shook his head. “That’s not true. Their mission was righteous. And Ethan— Ethan deserves to be avenged.”

“And how will you get your vengeance?’

“By killing you.”

“How is that justified… if he sacrificed his life to save mine.”

The other man’s gun wavered. “What—”

Percy continued on without letting the father speak. “His last act was to save me.”

“You lie AGAIN. I know you fought against each other. You already admitted it.”

“And what if I told you that at the last moment, he realized he was wrong. That Ethan betrayed Kronos... for me. And  _ that  _ is how he died. He was killed by Kronos' blade.” Nakamura was furiously shaking his head as Percy finished his monologue. “The only way to truly avenge your son is to kill the King of the Titans himself.”

“No no no no no.” 

“Everything you  _ think  _ you know, is wrong.”

“How could this happen? How can I get vengeance? How can I honor you, make you finally see my worth?”

Percy frowned, confused. Who was the other man talking to? All the sudden, it was like Nakamura was having an entirely different conversation. He seemed to forget that he was in the middle of a joint NYPD and FBI standoff.

The BAU still had six weapons trained on the unpredictable man, but Yuto didn't seem to notice.

Instead, Nakamura turned his head up to the heavens, wailing wordlessly into the air. “What have you done to me? Nemesis… my love, take me away!”

Oh. He thought the goddess still loved him, thought if he performed an act of vengeance in her name, she would take him back.

Nakamura obviously hadn’t been educated on the fickle nature of the gods. They took and discarded lovers with ease. As soon as a god was bored, they moved on. Yuto must’ve thought he and Nemesis had some bond, but whatever feelings the older man harbored, were unrequited.

It was painful to watch as the man seemed to fall even further apart. Whatever string that'd been previously keeping him together, allowing him to successfully evade authorities during his killing spree, had finally broken. The murderer stumbled towards the edge of the roof, as if drunk and completely unaware of his surroundings.

“Mr. Nakamura.” Hotch stepped towards their unsub. “Come away from the edge.”

Their man didn’t seem to hear, still calling for a goddess that had probably already forgotten his existence.

“We can finally be together.” He raised his arms above him, as if that would help plead his case. “We can steal Ethan away from the underworld, raise him as a family.”

Percy wasn’t sure what to do, how to break the man out of this haze. The agents were in a similar state of unease. Reid and JJ stood apart from the others, shocked as they watched Nakamura’s sanity wither away. They knew more than the rest of their team, had a better understanding of what the man’s seemingly nonsensical ramblings actually meant.

Then, without warning, Nakamura’s desperate lovestruck pleas cut off. He tilted his head to the side, listening to a voice that wasn’t there.

“You…” He cowered away from the sky. “How could you— no— he was a hero.”

Percy was speechless at the abrupt mood change. Initially, Nakamura seemed harmless, now… he sounded dangerous, broken.

“Heartless bitch.” The serial killer fired his gun into the clouds, twice.

Percy could hear the shouts of officers on the ground. They probably thought someone had been shot, either the unsub or one of their own.

Prentiss looked around in alarm. “We need to detain him before he hurts someone.”

“I wish I never met you!” Nakamura now had the barrel of his gun pressed against his own temple, finger twitching at the trigger. “You don’t deserve to call yourself his mother.”

The man winced as if he’d been struck by some invisible force. Nemesis must be talking to him. She must’ve heard his cries and come to silence them.

“She doesn’t love you, she never did.” Percy moved closer, as close as he dared.

“What are you doing?” Reid grabbed at the demigod's arm as he passed, but was unable to hold him back. 

“You’re talking to Nemesis, right?” The man’s head whipped to Percy at her name.

“What do you know of Nemesis?”

“I know that she took your son’s eye for no other reason than her own amusement,” Percy vaguely remembered her laughing about it. “She never cared for you… or Ethan.”

Nakamura let out a roar at his son’s name. “You don’t get to speak his name.”

“Why not?” The demigod pushed, unsure how much Yuto could take. “Ethan sided with me in the end, he saved my life. I saw him as an equal... and as a friend.”

“Shut UP!” The serial killer was losing his patience.

“It’s because of Nemesis, that he died. It was her lies and manipulation that caused him to choose the wrong side.”

Percy met Nakamura’s gaze, could see the doubt that had begun to creep in. The demigod knew he was right. He had no idea what the goddess had whispered into their unsub’s ear, but it had been enough for the scorned man to curse her. He could use that to turn Yuto against his former lover.

“In a hundred years… she won’t even remember Ethan's name.”

The gun dropped from his hand. Thank the gods. Nakamura was finally going to surrender, give himself to the law.

The son of Poseidon relaxed, turning to give the BAU a triumphant smile.

“Percy!” JJ called out his name, lurching desperately towards him. Was she okay? What was wrong?

But she wasn't looking at him, her gaze was focused on something just passed him, Nakamura.

Percy whipped back around to see the man clutching his head. Nakamura was almost ripping out his hair, his legs wobbled, unsteady, as he stepped back… back… back, towards the edge.

Percy sprang into action, rushing forward to grab the man before he lost his balance and toppled over the edge.

He was too slow.

The son of Poseidon watched, helpless, as their unsub’s heel caught on the edge of the roof. There were no high walls or safety nets to catch him… only open air. 

Nakamura didn't cry out, only stared into Percy’s eyes, full of defeat as he fell to his death.

Percy felt arms around his chest, encircling him, pulling him back, preventing him from losing his own balance. Percy couldn't look away, Yuto seemed to be in slow motion, he didn’t struggle at all— didn’t fight for life in his last moments. It was as if the man had died before even hitting the concrete below.

\--

Percy sat, leaning against a police car, staring at the building Yuto Nakamura had just launched himself off. Ethan’s father had earned himself a one-way ticket to the underworld— and the demigod knew exactly how he’d spend the rest of eternity. 

Hades wouldn't be kind to the man. A serial killer that had preyed on demigods, would no doubt see the Fields of Punishment. The son of Poseidon wasn't a big fan of how Hades judged souls but couldn't deny that if anyone deserved endless punishment it was Nakamura.

He didn’t feel much sympathy for the broken father. Nothing could justify his sadistic torture. Sure the man was mourning his lost son but he'd killed five innocents in his quest for revenge. That was unacceptable, unforgivable.

The BAU seemed somewhat satisfied with the case's conclusion. And although Percy didn’t want to admit it, he was too. With Nakamura dead, their secret was officially safe. As long as there were no more demigod murders, the son of Poseidon wouldn’t have to reveal the Greek pantheon to any more federal agents.

It was finally over.

“Detective.” He turned to Hotch, not expecting the other man to address him. “That was pretty good up there.”

Percy didn’t know what to say, surprised at the compliment.

“He’s right kid.” Now it was Rossi’s turn to speak. “The way you played into his fantasy, to get him to calm down and drop the gun? Impressive.”

Percy smiled, awkwardly accepting the compliment even if it wasn’t completely true. It’s not like he could tell the agents that their unsub’s ‘fantasy’ was actually reality. The son of Poseidon caught Reid’s eye covertly, glad he had an ally within the government.

Spencer knew exactly what had happened on that roof, even if he couldn’t share it with that team. At first, Percy hadn’t wanted the agent to tell any more people about his world but now? He was glad Reid had JJ, someone to turn to. They’d be able to talk this over… process everything together, instead of alone.

He looked at Nakamura’s body one last time, covered in a white cloth, being loaded into the medical examiner’s van, before turning away.

He was going home.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah... it's been a hot hot minute. I missed you guys. This chapter was a bit of a struggle. I feel like I'd built up this story and now there was a lot of pressure to have it climax in a satisfying way. Lol I guess I wanted to do it justice?? Hopefully, I succeeded?
> 
> The next and probably final (lol rip) chapter will be up tomorrow night... probably. I'm almost done.
> 
> Anyways, leave me some comments or feedback or whatever... I love hearing from y'all. Hopefully, I didn't wait too long to update and now I've lost you all. That'd be so sad.


	20. Flying Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The BAU thinks back over their case and talk over some inconsistencies as they fly home.

Reid POV

Reid leaned back with a sigh, gripping his armrests as the BAU plane shuddered down the runway. No matter how many times they did this, both landing and take-off always made him a little uncomfortable.

Once they were in the air, he was fine— but 64% of all plane crashes occurred during either the initial take-off and climb or the final descent and landing. The more times the BAU flew, the more likely they would join that statistic.

“Anyone care for a drink?” Rossi’s voice distracted him as the plan finally leveled out.

Reid shook his head, looking around the small aircraft, as every agent except Hotch, rejected the offered liquid.

“I’ll have a whiskey if you don’t mind Dave.”

“Of course, Aaron.”

Now that they were off the clock, things were more informal. Hotch and Rossi were old friends, they referred to each other by their first names in a more casual setting, even if the rest of the team didn’t always follow their lead.

As Rossi sat back down, bringing a second drink for his friend, Reid shifted uncomfortably. He had purposefully chosen a seat farther away from the others, he didn’t want to get involved in any conversations about their most recent unsub. He wasn’t a good liar, and he would be forced to if the BAU started questioning some of the many inconsistencies that were present in this case.

Reid could feel the tension, he knew it was only a matter of time before someone said  _ something _ . And it wasn’t going to be him.

“We all agree that case was weird, right?” Prentiss finally spoke up.

Morgan nodded immediately. “There’s so much that just doesn't quite add up.”

Reid stayed quiet.

“I still can’t believe that Jackson waited so long to tell us about his involvement. We were struggling to find a connection between the victims for days before he said anything— and his confession wasn’t even voluntary.”

“I don’t know Em,” JJ defended their detective. “What he said about the NDAs… and wanting to protect his family?”

“I guess.” Prentiss didn’t seem entirely convinced. “It’s just… I don’t know. Something about him just threw me off. I still think he was hiding something.”

Reid couldn’t help the grimace that crossed his face. If only they knew.

“See.” His friend caught the movement, misinterpreting it. “Reid agrees with me, right? I know you were always suspicious of the officer.”

She was right, he had been suspicious of Percy. Right up until the other man revealed all his secrets.

“I don’t know.” Reid tried to think of some explanation for his change in thinking. “I’m with JJ. You didn’t see him up close during that interview. I believe him, he really cared for all those families.”

Emily just shrugged, still doubtful.

“We really bonded on our walk through the city after I went to tell him about Nakamura.”

“What _did_ you talk about?” Hotch looked at him intensely. “You were gone for a long time.”

His unit chief was obviously still miffed that his agent had disobeyed direct order to come back to the station immediately after finding Jackson. Although, they had caught their unsub— those extra minutes could have resulted in Nakamura's escape.

“Oh— uh— you know,” Reid never should have brought up the conversation. “Just normal stuff… like being young in our respective fields and stuff.”

Hotch raised an eyebrow, aware the Reid was lying but not sure why.

Before he could say anything more, JJ jumped in to save him. “Sure the camp situation was a bit weird but it’s not even  _ close _ to some of the shit we’ve dealt with.”

“True.” Prentiss agreed.

“And at least we don’t have anything to add to the list.”

Reid chuckled slightly at JJ’s reference. Each member of the BAU, at some point in their careers, had made a list of ‘things’ they’d never do. After dealing with so many cases, it was impossible not to have some superstitions.

Spencer would never hitchhike, he’d never stay at a roadside motel, he’d never join any type of religious organization and he’d never travel too far on the Appalachian Trail.

“May Castellan?”

Reid startled at the name. He’d forgotten all about her. Barley remembered how she fit into the case. At the time, it didn’t seem very important. 

“She helped Nakamura find a place to stay in New York.” Prentiss continued. “She must’ve known something, was complicit in the murders.”

Hotch shook his head. “I told Garcia to send officers to her house before we left to find Nakamura. They got back to us before take-off.”

“What did they say?” Reid was curious, was she as disturbed as Percy made her seem.

“They confirmed Jakcons’s story. The male officer was mistaken for May Castellan’s son Luke. And her house was filled with molding food.”

So Percy hadn’t lied.

“And apparently... Penelope thought this was very important,” Hotch was rolling his eyes. “When Castellan shook the female officer's hand, she accurately identified that the other woman was pregnant, despite the baby being only a couple weeks old. Too young to show.”

“Weird.” JJ crinkled her nose. “Percy  _ did  _ say her visions are what drove her son away. Maybe—”

“Don’t you dare say that her prophecies are accurate.” Morgan interrupted, still only half-listening to the conversation.

JJ laughed off the accusation, but Reid could tell she hadn’t been joking. 

With all they knew about mythology… maybe Castellan really could see into the future. Reid could see how that might traumatize a child. A mother who predicted your own death and betrayal. 

He couldn't imagine what that’d be like. His own mother sometimes lost touch with reality, but he had comfort knowing that what she said or predicted wasn’t based on any truth. It was just the delusions caused by her disease.

He didn’t blame Luke for running away.

“What about the circumstances of Ethan Nakamura’s death?” Rossi took a sip, swirling his liquor as he waited for someone to voice their opinion. “Something doesn’t seem right about that.”

“You know, Garcia actually called me about Ethan.” Morgan fully removed his headphones, eager to finally discuss what had been bothering him. “That kid doesn’t have an official death certificate.”

“Really?” Hotch sounded surprised.

It was unusual for someone's death to go unrecorded, especially with someone so young. Ethan wasn’t even a legal adult when he died. And the cause of death being violent, suicide, there might even be cause for an equivocal death investigation to rule out any foul play.

Reid could see why the lack of a death certificate might raise a red flag.

“That is strange. But not unheard of...” Rossi was the most experienced profile, he’d seen the most out of any of them. “I can understand how someone like Yuto Nakamura might forget some important steps.”

Morgan laughed lightly. “That man was absolutely mad by the time we caught up to him.”

Reid met JJ’s gaze from across the plane.

He agreed with Morgan, but for a completely different reason. Where Derek thought their unsub had a complete break from reality as he spouted mythological nonsense, Spencer knew that Nakamura was actually revealing the truth.

“But how did Jackson know exactly what to say,” Hotch asked. “He knew exactly what the unsub wanted to hear.”

“A textbook de-escalation of the situation.” Rossi agreed.

Reid tried to mold his face into a convincing expression of confusion, to match his colleagues but the genius knew exactly how. The detective and their unsub were a part of the same world. They shared the same disdain for the gods and the same grief for the lives lost to a war beyond their control.

“He was a natural. Maybe one day he’ll join us at the FBI.” 

The two oldest agents seemed to be somewhat hopeful, but Reid knew it was unlikely. The demigod would never risk it.

Spencer hadn't had time to debrief anything with Percy before the BAU was whisked away to the airport. After spending so much time on this unsub, their workload had begun to pile up. They’d have only a couple hours of sleep before being thrust headfirst into another case.

The genius wanted to know exactly what had happened on the roof, preferable from Percy himself.

He had followed most of the conversation, the demigod had explained Ethan's death, tired to help Nakamura see how his son was a hero despite his poor choices. But as soon as the unsub started praying to Nemesis, Reid lost hold of the situation.

Was the delusional man actually talking to a goddess, or was that a part of his psychotic break? If he was in fact communicating with his former lover, what did she say to make him so upset?

Reid wasn’t sure the demigod could even answer that, but he _could_ clarify what would happen to Yuto Nakamura now that he was dead.

If the underworld was real, did that mean the Fields of Punishment were also real? It was both comforting and terrifying to know that all of the evil people he’d encountered in this world would one day be punished for their actions.

\--

As the conversation winded down, Reid stood up to get a coffee from their mini bar drink station. 

He leaned against the counter, listening to the comforting sounds of the machine as it rushed to fulfill his caffeine addiction.

The curtains pulled back softly.

“Spence.” He opened his eyes at the sound of her voice.

“JJ.” 

“This is crazy.” Her voice was barely a whisper, to keep their conversation private. “Right?”

“It is.”

“I can’t believe we’re not telling them.”

He met her eyes. “You know we can’t. It’s too dangerous.”

“I know.” She fixed her hair, leaning back to join him at the coffee maker. “It just— it feels like we're doing something wrong.”

“I feel it too. But we made a promise.”

She nodded absently. “I just wish we could tell Penelope.” She turned to smile at Reid. “Imagine how happy she’d be. If anyone would believe this, it’d be her.”

Reid could imagine exactly how she’d react. Garcia was almost otherworldly, he’d never met anyone like her and he doubted he ever would. She was one of a kind. 

The colorful kittens and unicorns that decorated her desk, revealed just how wacky their technical analyst really was. Reid knew she believed in ghosts and spirits, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to ask her to believe in Greek Gods or monsters either.

“Garcia can’t keep a secret,” Reid said instead, it _was_ the truth. “She’d tell the entire building before the end of the day.”

JJ snorted. “That she would.”

They sat in silence for another moment.

“Did Percy give you his card?”

Reid nodded, pulling out the thick paper that had been sitting heavily in his pocket since they left the station, almost an hour ago.

‘Delphi Strawberry Services’ was boldly printed in an elegant golden ink across the top of the card. Below it read the faux company’s phone number and address. Instead of the detective's name, like Reid had expected— the business was directed by one ‘Mr. Brunner.’

A man who Reid now knew was not a man at all. Instead, ‘Mr. Brunner’ was actually an immortal centaur named Chiron. 

Spencer still couldn't quite believe how he’d accidentally stumbled onto this world, if he didn't know any better, he’d think he was dreaming.

JJ reached out, fingers just barely brushing the card. “So he just gave you the camp's information?”

“He wrote his personal number on the back.” Reid flipped the paper to show her.

In a messy, barely legible note, Percy had scrawled his name, cell, and a trident.

JJ laughed as she saw it. 

“I just wish we couldn't have more time with him.” Reid placed the card safely back into his pocket. “I have so many questions. What did the beads represent? What was the second war about? Why aren’t there more camps across the country? What about the other Gods… do the Romans or the Egyptians— do they exist too?”

“Or why do they use such ancient technology and weapons? Why don’t they just kill the monsters with guns?”

“I didn’t even think about that.”

Reid had tried to shot the Empousa with his own firearm but it proved to be ineffective, harmless. Percy explained that demigods need a special metal, celestial bronze, to kill a monster so, in theory, they could make guns with bullets out of the material. They'd be able to kill their enemies from a greater distance, with less personal risk to themselves.

“It’d be so much easier, less dangerous.”

“And the Mist.” Reid added. He could think of endless topics. “How does it work? How powerful  _ is _ it?”

The two agents looked at each… shrugged.

They’d just have to accept that it would always be a mystery. Reid didn’t have any plans to call their new demigod friend unless it was an absolute emergency. A case that was beyond their ability to handle. Considering the fact that they had never come across any Greek beings in the past, Spencer didn’t think they ever would.

He vaguely remembered Percy saying something about monsters being attracted to those with clear-sight but he was still mortal. He didn’t pose any threat to them.

The kettle dinged, disrupting his thoughts. His coffee was ready.

Reid poured a cup for himself, then one for JJ. 

They exited the back cubby together, before sitting in their separate chairs. Rossi and Hotch were still nursing their own drinks, Prentiss had closed her eyes to try and get some rest before home and Morgan was staring out the open window, having replaced his headphones.

They were all in their own worlds, individually destressing after such a long case.

Reid wished he could join them, wished he could feel at ease, feel some sense of finality. But with everything he knew…

The genius signed, sinking back into his chair, trying to relax. It wouldn’t help to stress about what he couldn't control. Reid was going to need to learn how to push the Greek world out of the forefront of his mind. He didn't like _not_ knowing anything but if he was going to keep this secret, he was going to need to learn to live with it.

Reid unwittingly thought of a quote by Lisa Unger:

_ "The universe doesn't like secrets. It conspired to reveal the truth, to lead you to it.” _

Maybe it was destined for him to learn about the gods. 

And now that  he  knew of that truth, it was only a matter of time before the rest of his team found out. It was the BAU’s job to uncover secrets, to solve mysteries— this one wasn’t any different. 

He’d already told JJ… now who’d be next?

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand here she is. We're done. The end of an era. 
> 
> Lol that quote at the end barely fit in but I couldn't help it. Every criminal minds episode ends with those cringy quotes and I felt the need to end this story with one to. It took a long time to even find a quote that made even a little bit of sense and this one is kinda a stretch but oh well? It made me laugh, I thought it was a little bit funny.
> 
> Anyways... I hope you all enjoyed this final chapter. I don't know if I'll write a sequel or update, but if I do... it'll be sometime after I finish this semester. So in the future future cause I gotta pass all my classes. 
> 
> Just wanted to say thank you to everyone that stuck with this story and left me comments and feedback. They all made me so happy. This got a lot more attention than I expected, this is such a small subsection of fandoms (lol who even reads pjo x cm) but here we are. I honestly only thought like 10 people were gonna see it. But I'm glad I was wrong. 
> 
> Thank you all again. My long AU is done. Love you. Goodbyeee. :))


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